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Batchelor,  A.  D. 
The  mind  of  Christ 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 


The  Mind  of  Christ 


By 
A.  D.  Batchelor,  a.  M.,  S.  T.  B. 


FOREWORD 

By  Prof.  Marcus  D.  Buell,  D.  D. 


t 


Cincinnati:    JENNINGS  AND  GRAHAM 
New  York:    EATON     AND     MAINS 


Copyright,  1912, 
BY  Jennings  and  Graham 


^0 


WHOSE    LIFE    AND    TEACHING 

GAVE   ME    THE   CLEAREST   AND    TRUEST 

UNDERSTANDING    OF   THE   MIND 

OF   CHRIST. 


CONTENTS 

Page 
Foreword 9 

Preface 13 

PART  I 
Introduction, 19 

PART  II 

The  Mind  of  Christ  Made  Paul  Mindful  of  the  Phil- 

IPPIANS, 26 

PART  III 

The  Mind  of  Christ  Made  Paul  Mindful  of  the  Gos- 
pel,          .36 

PART  IV 
The  Mind  of  Christ  Creates  the  Christian  Mind,     .     50 

PART  V 

The    Mind   of   Christ   Incites   to    a    Knowledge   of 
Christ, 69 

PART  VI 
How  the  Mind  of  Christ  Reminds  Us,  .        .        .87 


FOREWORD. 

Professor  Marcus  D.  Buell,  D.  D. 

For  the  new  era  of  adult  Bible  study  now 
dawning  this  is  a  timely  publication. 

1.  A  method  is  suggested  for  finding  the  verte- 
bral column  in  Biblical  books.  A  mental  habit 
is  disclosed  which  is  of  great  value  to  every  student 
of  the  Bible,  that  of  looking  for  the  logical  *' joints 
and  bands/'  the  sinews  of  thought  which  bind 
sentence  to  sentence  and  paragraph  to  paragraph. 
The  whole  of  a  Biblical  book,  just  because  it  con- 
tains the  parts  thereof,  furnishes  the  best  inter- 
pretations of  those  parts.  Thus  what  Paul  says 
in  Phil.  2:5-11  of  *'the  Mind  of  Christ'*  lights 
up  and  is  in  turn  lighted  up  by  every  other  refer- 
ence in  this  epistle  to  the  Christly  mind. 

2.  Curiosity  is  piqued  concerning  circum- 
stances, motives,  and  aims  of  author  and  original 
readers  of  Biblical  books.  Now  since  there  is  no 
medium  for  revealing  moral  and  spiritual  truth 
so  transparent  and  penetrating  as  personality  in 
thought,  feeling,  purpose  and  acts,  so  there  is  no 
line  of  study  more  alluring  and  rewarding  than 
that  which  builds  up  again  the  vanished  historical 
background   and   weaves    together    the   scattered 

9 


FOREWORD 

threads  of  personal  relationship  and  influence 
which  lie  half -concealed  and  half -revealed  in  Holy 
Writ.  The  ''application'^  to  modern  conditions 
and  persons  is  so  obvious  and  compelling  that  no 
Philip  needs  to  ask,  ' '  Understandest  thou  what 
thou  readest?"  It  is  thus  that  the  mind  of  the 
transcendent  Christ  (2:5)  becomes  an  immediate 
and  potent  factor  of  daily  living,  when  translated 
in  terms  of  the  love  that  transforms  the  conceit 
and  selfishness  of  a  Syntyche  and  Euodias  (4:2). 
It  is  so  that 

"  Faith  hath  still  its  Olivet 
And  love  its  Galilee." 

3.  A  sure  way  is  pointed  out  for  redeeming 
many  a  week-night  devotional  meeting  from  men- 
tal feebleness;  dead  formality,  excess  of  feminin- 
ity, and  abandonment  to  a  few  who  ''occupy  the 
time''  with  tiresome  repetitions  of  worn-out 
phraseology;  a  result  too  often  due  to  hasty  and 
haphazard  preparation  on  the  part  of  the  leader 
and  the  absence  of  any  matured  plan  for  securing 
continuity  and  variety  of  mental  and  spiritual 
edification.  Of  all  Paul's  letters  to  the  Churches 
that  to  the  Philippians  is  best  adapted  to  the 
kindling  of  immediate  and  cumulative  interest 
on  the  part  of  all  classes  of  Bible  students.  The 
romantic  origin  of  this  first  and  best-loved  of  his 
European  churches ;  its  cosmopolitan  membership ; 

10 


FOREWORD 

its  exceptional  devotion  to  Paul  and  the  imperial 
progress  of  his  gospel  through  a  whole  decade  of 
critical  vicissitudes;  the  revelation  made  of  the 
apostle's  inmost  soul  as  he  looks  death  in  the 
face, — a  disclosure  as  notable  as  that  made  to  his 
disciples  by  Socrates  just  before  he  drank  the  hem- 
lock; and  the  sovereign  skill  and  self-forgetfulness 
so  like  that  of  his  Master,  praying  in  His  last  hours 
for  the  unity  of  His  Church,  with  which  He  ex- 
horts the  two  factions  to  ''be  of  one  heart,  one 
soul,  one  mind  in  the  Lord"  are  only  a  few  of  the 
permanent  features  which  must  make  this  epistle 
matter  for  absorbing  and  profitable  study,  discus- 
sion, and  prayer  to  any  company  who  meet  together 
week  by  week  in  His  name. 

4.  The  author  has  proven,  first  as  an  eager  and 
discerning  pupil  of  the  writer  in  his  student  days, 
and  later  as  pastor  of  congregations  representing 
as  wide  extremes  of  temperament  and  culture  as 
those  of  Paul's  Churches,  that  such  systematic  and 
continuous  studies  of  the  Word  as  these  can  be 
made  the  means  of  raising  the  level  of  the  spiritual 
thought  and  life  of  whole  communities.  May  those 
who  read  and  study  these  expositions  feel  their 
hearts  burn  within  them,  as  has  the  writer  of  these 
introductory  words ! 

Boston  University  School  of  Theology. 


11 


PREFACE. 

This  volume  which  the  author  has  been  en- 
couraged to  publish  is  neither  a  commentary  nor 
an  exhaustive  analysis.  It  is  only  a  brief  homi- 
letical  exposition  which  aims  to  popularize  an 
epistle  of  Paul  without  doing  violence  to  its  accu- 
rate exegesis.  It  is  designed  chiefly  as  a  suggestion 
to  those  who  are  seeking  to  arouse  new  interest  in 
the  mid-week  service.  It  grew  out  of  a  method 
which  has  been  employed  by  the  author  in  the 
weekly  prayer-meeting  for  the  past  several  years. 
The  plan  was  originally  designed  to  correct  an 
annoying  situation  which  has  doubtless  worried 
many  pastors.  What  pastor  has  not  been  troubled 
over  the  sparse  attendance  at  the  mid-week  service, 
and  what  is  worse,  over  the  lack  of  interest  in  this 
regularly  appointed  meeting?  In  brief,  the  plan 
has  consisted  in  outlining  a  book  of  the  Bible  with 
its  key-word  popularly  stated.  The  original  sug- 
gestion for  this  method  grew  out  of  the  concise 
and  comprehensive  outlines  of  Prof.  M.  D.  Buell 
in  his  work  of  New  Testament  Exegesis  in  the 
Boston  University  School  of  Theology.    The  author 

13 


PREFACE 

assumed  if  this  sort  of  work  were  popularized  into 
a  prayer-meeting  study,  it  might  arouse  new  in- 
terest in  this  service. 

At  first  there  was  objection  to  the  plan  on  the 
ground  that  it  would  destroy  the  social  feature  of 
the  service  where  each  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
speaking  out  the  abundance  of  his  heart.  The  ob- 
jection arose  from  a  condition  which  destroyed  a 
general  interest  in  the  service  through  an  insuffi- 
cient variety  and  depth  in  the  testimonies.  It 
was  this  very  condition  which  the  plan  sought 
to  correct.  It  was  observed  that  only  a  certain 
type  of  persons  attended  this  service.  Many  who 
in  other  ways  were  leaders  in  the  moral  and  social 
life  of  the  community,  were  neither  interested  in 
nor  participating  in  this  meeting.  But  when  it 
was  seen  that  the  published  topics  furnished  a  sys- 
tematic outline  upon  a  variety  of  themes  involving 
a  breadth  of  spiritual  experience,  and  that  the 
scheme  did  not  at  all  interfere  with  the  usual 
social  feature  of  the  service,  the  objection  soon 
died  out  and  a  general  interest  in  the  plan  followed. 

The  plan  has  commended  itself  through  the 
following  results — 

1.  It  lifted  the  service  out  of  the  ruts  into 
which  it  seemed  almost  everywhere  to  have  fallen, 
and  placed  it  upon  a  broad  spiritual  and  intellec- 
tual plane. 

2.  The    interest    of    the    most    intelligent    was 

1-1 


PREFACE 

solicited  while  apparently  the  interest  of  any  other 
religious  type  of  individuals  was  not  destroyed. 

3.  The  social  feature  of  the  prayer-service  was 
combined  with  a  systematic  and  detailed  study 
of  the  Scriptures,  which  in  turn  stimulated  Bible 
study. 

4.  Casual  and  indifferent  Bible  students  ac- 
quired a  more  accurate  knowledge  of  the  books 
studied  and  how  and  why  they  were  written. 

5.  Attention  was  drawn  to  the  fact  that  the 
pastor  did  not  conduct  this  meeting  in  a  ''hit  or 
miss"  fashion,  but  that  he  made  a  careful  prep- 
aration for  it  as  for  any  Sunday  service. 

6.  The  testimonies  and  prayers  became  more 
varied  and  discriminating,  and  many  uncon- 
sciously grew  out  of  the  habit  of  using  identical 
phraseology  which  heretofore  had  become  tire- 
some and  monotonous. 

7.  The  author  also  found  the  study  to  be  a 
veritable  mine  for  texts  and  themes  in  his  preach- 
ing. 

The  popular  themes  of  the  following  books 
may  serve  to  illustrate  the  plan.  The  word-key  to 
Galatians  was  found  to  be  ' '  Legalism  or  Life ; "  to 
Collossians,  ''The  Hidden  Life;"  to  Philippians, 
''The  Mind  of  Christ."  The  following  chapters 
are  an  exposition  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Philip- 
pians with  the  above  subject  as  the  key;  of  inter- 
pretation. 

15 


PREFACE 

I  wish  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  my 
former  teacher,  the  Eev.  Dr.  M.  D.  Buell,  Pro- 
fessor of  New  Testament  Greek  and  Exegesis  in  the 
Boston  University  School  of  Theology,  who  wrote 
the  *' foreword"  of  this  volume,  and  otherwise 
gave  much  needed  assistance  with  his  expert  help. 
I  also  desire  to  make  mention  of  my  long-time 
friend,  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  H.  "Webster,  Professor  of 
New  Testament  and  Greek  Exegesis  in  the  United 
Presbyterian  Theological  Seminary,  at  Xenia, 
Ohio,  who  spared  time  from  other  important  duties 
to  diligently  read  the  manuscript,  and  who  gave 
numerous  helpful  suggestions. 

Several  months  after  I  began  the  composition 
of  this  volume  and  had  given  it  the  title  which 
it  bears,  I  noticed  the  announcement  of  a  new 
volume  by  T.  Calvin  McClelland,  D.  D.,  minister 
of  the  Memorial  Presbyterian  Church,  Brooklyn, 
New  York,  entitled,  ''The  Mind  of  Christ."  Inas- 
much as  I  discovered  his  volume  to  be  a  study  of 
the  Synoptic  passages  alone,  and  since  my  own 
book  was  a  study  in  one  of  Paul's  epistles,  I  de- 
cided to  retain  the  original  title.  Although  the 
viewpoint  in  each  is  in  a  measure  the  same,  yet  the 
method  of  treatment  is  so  entirely  different  that 
I  have  felt  myself  justified  in  this  course. 

I  found  particularly  helpful  in  the  working  out 
of  the  theme  Bishop  Lightfoot's  Commentary  on 
Philippians   (Thomas  Y.   Crowell  &  Co.,  N.  Y.), 

16 


PREFACE 

Marvin  Vincent's  "Word  Studies  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament" (Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  N.  Y.),  and  The 
Expositor's  Bible  (A.  C.  Armstrong  &  Son, 
London). 

The  text  followed  throughout  the  book  is  the 
American  Revised  Version. 

A.  D.  B. 


17 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 


PART  I. 


Study  I — Introduction.    Statement  of  the  Theme, 

The  Epistle  to  the  Philippians  is  one  of  the 
prison  epistles.  Paul  had  abundant  opportunity 
and  time  in  his  detention  to  think.  The  solitary 
confines  of  a  prison  wall  shut  one  into  his  own 
thoughts.  Bedford  jail  stimulated  John  Bunyan 
to  think,  as  the  ** Pilgrim's  Progress"  bears  wit- 
ness. Paul,  we  know,  was  not  confined  like  Bun- 
yan, but  ''was  suffered  to  abide  by  himself  with 
the  soldier  that  guarded  him."  Yet  this  was  a 
detention  which  sorely  circumscribed  his  former 
liberties.  So  here  in  his  detention,  with  abundant 
opportunity  to  reflect,  he  lays  bare  his  mind  to  his 
Philippian  readers.  Here  he  thought  afresh  of 
the  previous  kindness  of  the  Philippians  to  him, 
and  became  mindful  of  their  spiritual  welfare. 
He  had  also  upon  his  mind  the  fortunes  of  the 
gospel  in  the  outside  world.  In  all  of  this  solicit- 
ous thinking  he  is  reminded  of  the  place  which 

19 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

both  they  and  he  have  in  the  mind  of  God  and  of 
Christ  the  Son. 

The  phrase,  ''The  Mind  of  Christ,"  may  be 
said  to  comprehend  his  entire  point  of  view  as 
expressed  in  this  letter.  The  verb  <j>pov€o)  (to 
think)  is  used  eleven  times  in  this  epistle  in  its 
various  grammatical  forms,  while  it  occurs  but 
seventeen  times  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament. 
The  following  passages  denote  the  frequent  use  of 
this  word  and  kindred  words:  ''Abound  yet  more 
and  more  in  knowledge  and  discernment/'  (1:9); 
*'Be  of  the  same  mind — of  one  mind/'  (2:2); 
"Have  this  mind  in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ 
Jesus,"  (2:5);  *'I  have  no  man  like-minded,  who 
will  care  for  your  estate,"  (2:20)  ;  "I  count  all 
things  to  be  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  Christ,"  (3:8)  ;  "That  I  may  know  Him 
and  the  power  of  His  resurrection,"  (3:10); 
"Let  us,  therefore,  as  many  as  are  perfect,  be  thus 
minded;  and  if  in  anything  ye  are  otherwise 
minded,  this  also  shall  God  reveal  unto  you," 
(3:15);  "Who  mind  earthly  things,"  (3:19); 
"I  exhort  Euodias,  and  I  exhort  Syntyche,  to  be 
of  the  same  mind  in  the  Lord,"  (4:2);  "The 
peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understanding/' 
(4:7)  ;  "If  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be 
any  praise,  think  on  these  things,"  (4:8)  ;  "The 
things  which  ye  both  learned  and  received — these 
things  do,"   (4:9);  "Now  at  length  ye  have  re- 

20 


INTRODUCTION 

vived  your  thought  for  me/'  (4:10);  *'I  have 
learned  the  secret,"   (4:12). 

In  this  epistle  Paul  expresses  no  less  than 
eight  wishes  which  center  in  Christ.  He  wishes 
to  ' '  glory  in  Christ, "  to  "  know ' '  Christ,  to  ' '  gain ' ' 
Christ,  to  "magnify"  Christ,  to  be  "conformed" 
to  Christ,  to  be  "found"  in  Christ,  to  "glory  in 
the  day  of  Christ,"  to  "be  with  Christ"  in  the 
life  after  death.  These  are  all  fundamentally  re- 
lated to  his  main  theme — "The  Mind  of  Christ." 
To  have  this  mind  is  to  "know"  Him,  to  be  able 
to  "gain"  Him,  to  know  how  to  intelligently 
"magnify"  Him,  to  learn  how  to  "conform"  to 
Him,  and  to  divine  the  secret  of  being  ' '  found ' '  in 
Him.  All  this  in  turn  is  a  preparation  for  ' '  the  day 
of  Christ"  wherein  he  may  rejoice  through  the 
prospect  of  being  forever  "with  Christ."  Or  to 
state  it  differently,  if  he  is  "with  Christ"  in  this 
life  through  an  apprehension  of  his  mind,  knowing 
Him,  and  being  conformed  unto  Him,  and  being 
found  in  Him,  then  the  "day  of  Christ"  will  de- 
clare the  fact  that  he  is  qualified  to  be  forever 
"with  Christ." 

The  mind  of  Christ  includes  not  only  a  sound 
reason  and  a  true  will,  but  a  right  heart  as  well. 
Christ  not  only  thought  the  purest  thoughts  and 
willed  to  live  the  best  life,  but  He  also  felt  sincerely 
in  His  heart.  His  was  not  a  mind  which  reduced 
facts  to  rigid  logic  and  maintained  the  wiU  in  a 

21 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

course  of  painstaking  Pharisaical  rectitude.  When 
we  study  His  mind  we  discover  a  subliminal  self 
surcharged-  with  deep  and  tender  emotion  which 
reveals  a  heart  of  compassion.  In  taking  account 
of  His  mind  we  must  not  ignore  this  element.  It 
was  this  quality  of  his  Master's  mind  which  en- 
abled Paul  to  write  in  this  epistle,  *'I  long  after 
you  all  in  the  tender  mercies  of  Christ  Jesus." 
Paul  uses  the  word  <f>povi(o  (translated  **mind" 
in  this  epistle)  in  1  Cor.  3:11  which  the  Author- 
ized Version  translates  *  *  I  understood  as  a  child. ' ' 
It  is  very  significant  that  the  Revised  Version 
translates  this  expression,  *^I  felt  as  a  child." 
This  enforces  the  view  that  Paul  thought  of  the 
word  **mind"  as  referring  to  the  whole  attitude 
of  the  inner  man.  To  know  Christ  then  is  to  dis- 
cover His  heart  as  well  as  the  character  of  His 
teaching.  If  this  mind  which  was  in  Him  is  also 
in  us,  we  too  shall  be  pure  in  our  thinking,  true 
in  our  living,  and  compassionate  in  our  feeling. 
This,  in  substance,  is  what  Paul  means  to  say  in 
this  epistle. 

Study  II — Salutation.    The  salvation  of  the  Philip- 
pians  a  revelation  of  Christ's  mind.     (1:1-2.) 

We  are  apt  to  view  the  salutations  in  Paul's 
epistles  like  certain  formal  phrases  which  we  use 
in  our  correspondence.  We  not  infrequently 
think  of  these  as  a  meaningless  adornment,  useful 

22 


INTRODUCTION 

only  to  prepare  the  reader  for  what  we  are  about 
to  say.  But  the  salutation  in  this  epistle  can  not 
be  so  regarded.  It  was  written  in  the  light  of  the 
theme  which  Paul  uniformly  follows  throughout 
the  letter.  That  theme  is  "The  Mind  of  Christ." 
We  can  not  think  of  His  Mind  apart  from  the  mind 
of  the  Father.  The  salutatory  statement,  "Grace 
to  you  and  peace  from  God  our  Father  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ, '^  reveals  the  attitude  of  the 
Divine  mind  toward  us.  It  suggests  that  there 
is  a  plan  in  the  Divine  mind.  The  sending  of 
Christ  into  the  world  is  evidence  of  it.  His  ad- 
vent was  not  that  of  an  adventurer  who  came  to 
explore.  He  came  because  He  was  sent.  Here 
are  Christ's  own  words  on  His  mission:  "I  came 
forth  and  am  come  from  God;  for  neither  have 
I  come  of  Myself,  but  He  sent  Me,"  (John  8: 
42).  This  plainly  indicates  that  God  wished  to 
communicate  His  mind  to  the  world.  How  better 
could  it  be  done  than  by  incarnating  it  in  one 
in  the  form  of  human  flesh  ? 

The  message  which  Jesus  gave  to  the  world  is 
also  proof  of  the  thoughts  of  God  concerning  the 
world.  And  what  was  that  message  ?  It  is  summed 
up  in  one  word — love.  "God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  on  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
eternal  life."  There  is  no  fuller  statement  of 
God's  mind  toward  the  world  to  be  found  in  His 

23 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

Word.  To  know  that  God's  mind  is  an  intention 
of  love  is  worth  much  to  the  sin-tempted  denizens 
of  this  world. 

Likewise  Christ 's  mind  was  an  expression  of  the 
Divine  plan.  He  had  good  will  toward  men.  This 
is  abundantly  illustrated  by  His  words  and  His 
works.  He  had  a  righteous  determination  to  carry 
out  the  Divine  program.  This  further  indicates 
that  it  was  in  the  mind  of  God  to  have  His 
thought  concerning  the  world  expressed  at  any 
cost.  Christ's  mind,  then,  indicates  the  way  Christ 
fitted  Himself  into  the  Divine  plan  by  making  His 
work  to  harmonize  with  the  will  of  the  Father.  He 
and  His  Father  were  of  one  mind  toward  the  world. 
Both  thought  of  it  alike  and  both  had  identical 
determinations  toward  it.  Their  united  attitude 
was  that  of  grace"  (undeserving  lovingkind- 
ness)  and  ''peace."  That  is,  God  sent  Christ  into 
the  world  with  the  message  that  He  was  a  loving 
Father  and  that  He  thought  favorably  of  the  world, 
if  the  world  would  arrest  its  hostility  and  be  at 
peace  with  Him. 

The  mind  of  Jesus  contained  no  thoughts  of 
God's  anger  or  enmity  and  of  the  need  of  Divine 
reconciliation.  This  teaching  never  found  a 
single  illustration  in  the  thinking  of  Jesus.  Jesus 
never  pictured  to  His  auditors  tormented  ''sinners 
in  the  hands  of  an  angry  God."  While  He  had 
much  to  say  about  judgment  and  spared  no  meta- 

24 


INTRODUCTION 

phors  to  express  its  awful  reality,  yet  in  His 
thought  it  was  not  God's  ferociousness  which  made 
it  so,  but  rather  the  sinner's  folly  in  spite  of  the 
Father's  benevolent  spirit.  The  God  of  Jesus  was 
already  at  peace,  and  ready  to  make  overtures  to  a 
w^orld  w^hich  was  at  enmity.  As  Paul  elsewhere 
expresses  it,  ''God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the 
world  unto  Himself." 

The  entire  ministry  of  Christ  is  an  illustration 
of  Paul's  salutation.  All  through  His  life,  by 
His  teaching  and  example,  Jesus  coveted  for  men 
peaceful  relations  with  the  Father.  He  labored 
to  show  that  God  loved  men  and  that  He  yearned 
to  have  them  love  Him.  Just  as  He  and  the 
Father  were  of  the  same  mind  in  all  things.  He 
would  also  have  the  men  of  this  world  be.  There 
is  no  better  statement  of  His  point  of  view,  and 
withal  no  more  illuminating  explanation  of  Paul's 
salutation,  than  the  words  of  Jesus  in  His  memo- 
rable prayer — ' '  That  they  may  all  be  one ;  even  as 
Thou,  Father,  art  in  Me,  and  I  in  Thee,  that  they 
also  may  be  in  Us ;  that  the  world  may  believe  that 
Thou  didst  send  Me.  I  in  them,  and  Thou  in  Me, 
that  they  may  be  perfected  into  one;  that  the 
world  may  know  that  Thou  didst  send  Me,  and 
lovedst  them,  even  as  Thou  lovedst  Me. ' ' 


25 


PART  II. 

The  Mind  of  Christ  made  Paul  Mindful  of  the 
Philippians. 

Study    III — It    prompted    prayer    for    the    com- 
pletion of  God's  work  in  them.     (1:  3-8.) 

Paul  had  fond  remembrances  of  the  Philip- 
pian  Christians.  They  had  made  a  good  begin- 
ning. Paul  was  grateful  for  that.  They  were 
loyal  to  him  as  their  spiritual  father.  This  cheered 
his  heart.  They  were  ambitious  for  the  gospel  to 
be  preached  abroad  in  the  world.  This  made  him 
to  rejoice.  This  Church  was  one  of  his  favorite 
children  in  the  Lord.  He  had  it  upon  his  mind. 
He  was  anxious  that  it  might  continue  to  maintain 
the  same  high  standard  of  Christian  living.  So 
the  epistle  opens  with  the  picture  of  Paul  upon 
his  knees,  thanking  God  for  His  remembrance  of 
them  and  making  supplication  for  their  contin- 
ued spiritual  progress.  It  is  a  retrospect  and  a 
prospect  comprehended  in  a  single  prayer. 

From  the  book  of  Acts  we  know  how  the 
work  in  this  city  began  in  a  furious  storm  which 
resulted  in  the  imprisonment  of  Paul  and  Silas, 

26 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  PHILIPPIANS 

But  the  seeds  of  spiritual  truth  took  immediate 
root.  "From  the  first  day  until  now,"  he  tells 
them,  ''they  had  fellowship "  with  him  "in  further- 
ance of  the  gospel."  The  readiness  with  which 
they  received  the  truth  and  promoted  it  was  re- 
freshing to  Paul.  It  was  a  splendid  beginning. 
But  better  yet,  their  ardor  never  cooled.  Their 
progress  in  things  spiritual  became  an  increasing 
gratification  to  the  apostle.  "When  Paul  went  from 
Philippi  to  Greece  after  sowing  seed  in  Thes- 
salonica  and  Berea,  he  found  a  different  soil  to 
work  in.  The  truth  did  not  take  root  so  readily 
in  Athens  and  Corinth.  In  Athens  it  did  not  take 
root  at  all;  in  Corinth  it  germinated  slowly. 
While  Paul  waited  for  the  harvest  there  he  was 
in  physical  necessity.  It  was  then  that  the  Phil- 
ippians  gave  substantial  proof  of  their  spiritual- 
ity. They  ministered  to  Paul's  need  with  such 
hearty  generosity  that  through  their  help  he  was 
enabled  to  continue  his  work  there.  This  is  what 
Paul  refers  to  when  he  speaks  of  their  "fellow- 
ship in  furtherance  of  the  gospel."  Their  benev- 
olent response  to  his  personal  need  so  appealed 
to  the  apostle  that  he  commends  it  again  in  the 
closing  chapter  of  this  epistle,  saying,  "Ye  have 
revived  your  thought  for  me."  But  their  contri- 
butions were  not  limited  to  Paul's  personal  need. 
They  co-operated  with  him  also  in  his  great  proj- 
ect of   collecting  money  for  the  poor   saints   in 

27 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

Jerusalem.  It  was  on  the  occasion  of  this  collec- 
tion that  he  commended  to  the  Corinthians  the 
generosity  of  these  Philippians,  saying,  ''Their 
deep  poverty  abounded  unto  the  riches  of  their 
liberality — beyond  their  power  they  gave  of  their 
own  accord,  beseeching  us  with  much  entreaty  in 
regard  of  this  grace  and  the  fellowship  in  the 
ministering  to  the  saints." 

Being  so  mindful  of  Paul,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
he  in  turn  was  solicitous  for  their  welfare,  as  he 
wrote,  "I  have  you  in  my  heart"  and  "It  is  right 
for  me  to  be  thus  minded  on  behalf  of  you  all." 
This  was  the  particular  thing  for  which  he  was 
mindful  in  them — "that  He  who  began  the  good 
work  in  you  will  perfect  it  until  the  day  of  Jesus 
Christ."  He  has  no  other  thought  for  them  than 
that  they  will  continue  as  they  began.  His  words 
betray  no  suspicion  in  his  mind  that  they  will 
soon  relapse.  Yet  he  no  doubt  entertained  the 
thought  that  it  would  be  a  calamity  for  them 
to  make  a  bad  ending  after  so  good  a  beginning. 
Neither  could  he  be  unmindful  of  the  tempta- 
tions which  at  any  time  might  undo  the  com- 
mendable start.  All  the  Churches  which  Paul 
founded  had  good  enough  beginnings,  but  what 
an  ending  some  of  them  had!  For  example, 
the  Corinthians  with  their  immoralities;  the  Ga- 
latians  with  their  relapse  into  Judaism;  the  Colos- 
sians  with  their  philosophical  heresy. 

28 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  PHILIPPIANS 

How  is  it  with  us?  Our  beginning  was  prom- 
ising enough.  Our  first  spiritual  enthusiasm  was 
a  consuming  passion.  But  has  it  been  conserved 
through  the  years  which  have  passed?  Do  we  look 
back  to  the  hour  where  we  had  our  spiritual  birth 
and  try  to  revive  the  old  emotions,  or  have  we  car- 
ried them  with  us,  and  are  they  still  a  flame  in 
our  hearts?  In  other  words,  the  question  with  us 
should  be  not  what  was  our  experience,  but  what 
is  it?  The  ''first  day"  was  a  glorious  fact  in  our 
lives,  but  that  is  history  now.  How  is  it  with  us 
*' until  now?"  Is  the  work  which  He  began  in  us 
being  perfected  in  this  very  hour  in  anticipation 
of  ''the  day  of  Jesus  Christ?"  Unless  we  are 
building  on  our  beginning,  adding  grace  to  grace, 
we  are  making  a  sorry  affair  of  this  business  of 
Christian  living. 

Another  pertinent  question  in  the  light  of 
Paul's  words  here  is.  What  are  we  doing  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  gospel?  The  attitude  of  the 
Philippians  toward  Paul  and  the  gospel  in  Corinth 
is  the  principle  upon  which  our  missionary  enter- 
prises are  built.  They  could  not  succeed  without 
a  benevolent  spirit  abroad  in  our  Churches.  There 
is  no  end  to  the  ways  by  which  we  can  further  the 
gospel  both  at  home  and  abroad.  The  question  is. 
Have  we  the  spirit  which  imparts  to  us  an  am- 
bition for  the  gospel  ?  Are  we  satisfied  with  mere 
nominal  relations  to  the  Kingdom,  with  mere  per- 

29 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

functory  performances,  or  are  we  burning  with 
a  passion  to  see  the  gospel  furthered?  If  we  are 
ambitious  for  this  like  Christ,  we  shall  plan  for  it, 
work  for  it,  and  sacrifice  for  it.  Then,  and  only 
then,  will  it  be  done. 

Study  IV — Paul's  mindfulness  for  the  Philippians 
prompts  prayer  for  increase  in  spiritual  knowl- 
edge and  discernment.  (1:9-11.) 
We  see  Paul  still  on  his  knees  unfolding  his 
mind  to  the  Philippians  through  the  words  of  his 
prayer.  Now  he  prays  that  their  "love  may 
abound  more  and  more  in  all  knowledge  and  dis- 
cernment.'' He  does  not  pray  that  their  knowl- 
edge may  abound  more  and  more  in  love,  but  that 
their  love  may  abound  more  and  more  in  knowl- 
edge. Love  can  not  live  apart  from  thought.  It 
must  have  the  sustenance  of  knowledge  or  it  will 
starve.  "Without  knowledge  it  shrivels  up  and 
dies  and  bears  upon  its  tomb  the  epitaph,  "My 
people  are  destroyed  for  lack  of  knowledge."  This 
was  truly  the  case  of  the  Jews  of  whom  he  wrote 
in  the  Romans,  ' '  They  have  a  zeal  for  God,  but  not 
according  to  knowledge.'' 

The  Philippians  had  given  proof  of  their  love 
not  only  for  Paul,  but  for  the  Corinthians  and  the 
poor  saints  at  Jerusalem  whom  they  had  never 
seen.  Paul's  thought  for  them  is  that  their  love 
may  have  substantial  basis.    Love  is  itself  a  foun- 

30 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  PHILIPPIANS 

dation.  It  is  the  fundmental  principle  of  the 
Christian  life.  It  was  in  the  mind  of  Christ  to  love 
us  and  to  get  us  to  love  one  another.  It  was  His 
pure  love  which  gave  all  men  a  place  in  His  heart, 
and  which  prompted  Him  to  say,  "A  new  com- 
mandment I  give  unto  you."  Yet  love  has  ex- 
panding powers.  We  love  because  we  are  in- 
formed, and  the  more  we  are  informed  the  more 
we  love.  Love,  then,  based  on  knowledge  will 
reach  depths  and  heights  and  breadths  to  which 
it  otherwise  could  not  attain.  It  is  the  natural 
process  of  Christian  growth  which  Paul  here  in- 
dicates when  He  prays  that  their  love  may 
'^abound  more  and  more  in  all  knowledge."  The 
word  which  He  uses  is  comprehensive.  It  means 
''full  knowledge."  It  is  as  if  He  said,  ''We  are 
to  get  the  fullest  possible  knowledge  of  the  things 
which  relate  to  God;  and  the  more  we  shall  learn 
about  Him  the  more  shall  we  love  Him  and  in 
turn  love  one  another." 

Discernment  is  related  to  knowledge.  It  is  the 
mind  sifting  and  selecting  the  things  which  knowl- 
edge has  discovered.  Here  it  means  more  specif- 
ically moral  judgment.  A  fine  sense  of  moral 
discrimination  is  a  furnishing  needed  by  every 
Christian.  We  can  judge  accurately  enough  in  the 
violent  and  common  crimes  of  society,  like  mur- 
der and  theft;  but  in  many  questions  of  casuistry 
and  matters  of  personal  difference  we  utterly  fail. 

31 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

Too  frequently  we  also  seem  unable  to  *' dis- 
cern the  spirits''  which  Paul  classifies  with  other 
spiritual  gifts  and  which  implies  a  keen  and  search- 
ing judgment  of  men.  It  is  not  improbable  that 
when  Paul  wrote  these  words  he  was  thinking  of 
the  personal  difference  between  Euodias  and  Syn- 
tyche  ( Chapter  4:2)  and  of  the  inability  of  each 
to  discern  the  side  of  the  other  as  well  as  her  own. 
This  spiritual  insight  which  is  able  to  sift  out  the 
bad  and  select  the  good,  was  possessed  by  Jesus 
in  rare  measure.  So  it  was  but  natural  that  Paul 
should  say  at  the  close  of  the  chapter  (1  Cor.  2) 
on  spiritual  wisdom,  "But  we  have  the  mind  of 
Christ."  Yes,  it  is  Christ's  mind  which  Paul 
covets  for  his  readers  when  he  prays  that  "love 
may  abound  yet  more  and  more  in  knowledge  and 
all  discernment." 

The  end  of  this  spiritual  attainment  is  also  des- 
ignated in  the  prayer.  It  is  desirable  for  four 
reasons.  First,  that  they  "may  approve  the  things 
which  are  excellent."  Bishop  Lightfoot  trans- 
lates the  phrase,  "Things  that  transcend."  It  is 
not  only  a  judgment  between  good  and  bad,  but 
also  a  perception  of  the  things  which  are  best. 
The  meaning  is  the  same  as  in  the  words  of  Paul 
to  the  Corinthians,  "Desire  earnestly  the  greater 
gifts.  And  moreover  a  most  excellent  way  I  show 
unto  you."  The  most  excellent  or  transcendent 
way  which  he  had  in  mind  was  the  way  of  love 

32 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  PHILIPPIANS 

as  is  indicated  by  the  inimitable  thirteenth  chapter 
of  the  First  Corinthians  which  immediately  fol- 
lows this  verse.  Paul's  view  of  discernment  is  also 
enforced  by  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word 
''approve"  which  contains  the  figure  of  testing 
metals.  Spiritual  discernment,  then,  enables  us 
to  apprehend  the  pure  gold,  the  things  of  chief 
importance,  or  the  transcendent  value  of  the  spir- 
itual as  compared  with  the  material.  This  great 
truth  was  in  the  mind  of  Jesus  when  He  taught 
His  disciples  to  ''seek  first  His  Kingdom,  and 
His  righteousness,"  and  when  He  said  to  Martha, 
"Thou  art  anxious  and  troubled  about  many 
things,  but  one  thing  is  needful:  for  Mary  hath 
chosen  the  good  part,  which  shall  not  be  taken 
away  from  her." 

The  second  reason  for  this  sense  of  discrimina- 
tion is  "that  ye  may  be  sincere."  This  would  be 
impossible  without  a  spiritual  power  to  sift  and  to 
select.  The  fact  that  things  are  separated  by  our 
spiritual  discernment  makes  it  imperative  that  we 
shall  keep  them  apart.  The  literal  meaning  of 
the  word  translated  "sincere"  makes  this  clear. 
It  means  unmixed,  unsullied,  properly  distinct. 
Singularly  enough  our  English  word  "sincere" 
contains  a  beautiful  illustration  of  this  truth.  It 
is  a  compound  of  two  Latin  words  (sine  cera) 
which  mean  ' '  without  wax. ' '  The  term  arose  from 
the  custom  of  dishonest  contractors  filling  in  the 
3  33 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

chinks  of  a  building  with  wax  and  covering  it  np 
with  paint.  Hence  it  came  to  pass  that  men 
guarded  themselves  by  stipulating  in  the  contract 
that  the  building  should  be  "sine  cera" — without 
wax.  It  is  this  word,  we  remember,  which  Carlyle 
uses  with  his  rare  felicity  of  expression  to  describe 
the  outstanding  characteristic  of  his  ''Hero 
Prophet."  To  be  sincere  is  to  be  without  deception, 
to  be  pure  and  unsullied  in  our  lives  before  the 
world.  The  mind  of  Christ  opened  itself  to  us  on 
this  subject  when  He  said,  *' Blessed  are  the  pure 
in  heart;  for  they  shall  see  God." 

A  third  reason  for  powers  of  discrimination  is 
"that  ye  may  be  void  of  offense."  The  literal 
translation  of  this  phrase  also  helps  the  thought. 
It  means  "without  stumbling."  Here  again  we 
see  the  value  of  spiritual  discernment.  He  who 
sees  clearly  will  not  walk  in  darkness.  He  who 
has  a  darkened  moral  vision  will  stumble.  Jesus 
expressed  His  mind  on  this  truth  when  He  said, 
"If  a  man  walk  in  the  day,  he  stumbleth  not,  be- 
cause he  seeth  the  light  of  this  world.  But  if  a 
man  walk  in  the  night,  he  stumbleth,  because  the 
light  is  not  in  him." 

A  fourth  reason  for  this  growth  in  love  to- 
gether with  knowledge  and  discernment  is  that 
they  may  be  "filled  with  the  fruits  of  righteous- 
ness." The  first  condition  to  "fruits  of  righteous- 
ness" is  a  proper  discernment  between  good  and 

34 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  PHILIPPIANS 

evil.  We  must  indeed  discover  what  righteous- 
ness is  before  we  can  bear  any  fruit  in  it.  The 
righteousness  which  Jesus  proclaimed  and  the 
righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  the  Pharisees  were 
diametrically  opposed.  The  difference  between 
their  righteousness  and  Christ's  was  the  difference 
between  the  ability  of  each  to  spiritually  discern. 
Jesus  perceived  righteousness  because  His  spir- 
itual knowledge  was  rooted  in  love.  They  stumbled 
because  their  righteousness  was  legal  and  not 
spiritual.  No  wonder  Jesus  said,  "Except  your 
righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter 
into  the  Kingdom  of  God.''  Then  to  possess  that 
love  which  abounds  more  and  more  in  knowledge 
and  all  discernment  so  that  we  shall  become  sin- 
cere, and  not  stumble,  and  bear  the  fruits  of 
righteousness,  is  for  us  to  possess  the  mind  of 
Christ.  Paul  possessed  it  and  it  made  him  mind- 
ful for  the  deeper  spiritual  knowledge  of  the 
Philippians.  If  we,  too,  possess  it  Ave  shall  increas- 
ingly abound  in  "all  discernment"  and  the  "fruits 
of  righteousness." 


35 


PART  III. 

The  Mind  of  Christ  made  Paul  Mindful  of  the 

Gospel. 

Study  V — He  rejoices  that  Ms  imprisonment  re- 
sulted in  advantage  to  the  gospel.     (1:12-20.) 

We  have  already  seen  that  it  was  the  mind  of 
Christ  in  Paul  which  made  him  solicitous  for  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  Philippians.  It  also  made 
him  anxious  for  the  welfare  of  the  gospel  which 
he  preached.  Hitherto  he  had  been  abroad  in  the 
world  with  the  freedom  of  a  Roman  citizen  and 
had  been  carrying  the  gospel  into  all  parts  of  the 
empire.  Now  he  was  in  custody.  Although 
chained  to  a  Roman  soldier,  and  with  his  own 
liberties  circumscribed,  he  knew  the  gospel  in  the 
outside  world  could  not  be  bound.  It  is  noteworthy 
that  in  his  imprisonment  he  seemed  concerned  not 
so  much  for  his  own  liberty  as  for  the  liberty  of 
the  gospel  of  Christ.  The  Philippian  Christians, 
as  well  as  others,  doubtless  looked  upon  his  con- 
tinued confinement  as  a  calamity  to  the  gospel.  If 
they  did,  Paul's  words  in  this  letter  soon  put  their 
minds  at  rest.  For  he  tells  them  that  the  imprison- 
ment has  resulted  rather  in  progress  to  the  gospel. 

36 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

First  of  all  he  writes  that  his  "bonds  became 
manifest  in  Christ  throughout  the  whole  preto- 
rian  guard,  and  to  all  the  rest."  It  was  no  small 
consolation  to  him  to  know  if  he  were  not  at  lib- 
erty to  proclaim  the  gospel  in  Galatia,  or  Mace- 
donia, or  on  the  frontier  of  Spain,  or  in  the  cities  of 
Ephesus,  Corinth,  and  Rome,  he  could  indeed 
preach  it  to  the  pretorian  guard  and  the  house- 
hold of  the  palace.  The  royal  household  com- 
prised a  vast  retinue  of  servants  and  officials  en- 
gaged in  the  discharge  of  a  multitude  of  duties. 
Here  then  was  an  opportunity  to  still  preach  the 
gospel,  and  Paul  lost  no  time  we  may  believe  in 
buying  it  up.  He  saw  in  his  imprisonment  a 
decided  advantage  to  the  gospel  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  "the  whole  pretorian  guard"  and  "all 
the  rest"  who  were  attached  to  the  royal  service 
in  the  palace  heard  it  preached.  At  the  end  of 
this  same  epistle  he  tells  us  of  "the  saints  of  Cae- 
sar's household"  which  assures  us  that  the  gospel 
was  not  preached  in  these  quarters  in  vain. 

Another  advantage  resulting  to  the  gospel 
through  his  imprisonment  was  "that  most  of  the 
brethren  in  the  Lord"  were  made  "confident" 
and  were  "more  abundantly  bold  to  speak  the 
word  of  God  without  fear."  His  affliction  then 
put  other  Christians  on  their  mettle.  They  saw 
what  they  might  have  to  endure  for  this  same 
gospel,  and  also  from  Paul's  example  how  to  en- 

37 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

dure  it.  His  heroic  action  through  it  all  stimu- 
lated them  to  a  greater  heroism.  Hence  they 
girded  themselves  for  the  crisis  which  seemed  to 
have  come  to  their  faith  and  labored  all  the  more 
courageously.  Every  crisis  in  religious  faith  has 
this  result.  It  weeds  out  the  weak  and  timid,  and 
leaves  the  bold  to  fight  the  battles  of  the  Lord. 
In  such  times  the  purity  of  the  faith  is  preserved 
and  examples  of  spiritual  heroism  come  to  the 
front.  Such  crises  never  work  final  injury  to  the 
cause  of  Christ.  As  in  this  case,  so  always,  the 
result  is  permanent  advantage. 

A  third  advantage  which  the  imprisonment  se- 
cured for  the  gospel  was  that  Christ  was  "pro- 
claimed'' even  by  *Hhe  enemies  of  the  cross  of 
Christ."  It  is  hinted  in  the  passage  before  us  that 
the  enemies  of  Paul  were  encouraged  by  his  im- 
prisonment. "With  him  in  prison  and  not  able  to 
publicly  refute  their  statements,  or  to  offset  their 
labors  in  certain  localities,  they  doubtless  felt  se- 
cure in  their  work  of  opposition.  And  it  would 
seem  from  his  words  here  that  they  were  proclaim- 
ing their  doctrines  with  all  the  more  vigor.  There 
can  hardly  be  any  doubt  that  the  enemies  referred 
to  were  of  the  Judaizing  party,  which  he  has  in 
mind  in  chapter  3 : 1-7.  Paul  describes  their  ac- 
tion as  ''thinking  to  raise  up  affliction  for  me  in 
my  bonds."  The  literal  translation  pictures  to  us 
more  accurately  the  feelings  of  Paul,  for  it  reads, 

38 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

''Thinking  to  make  my  chains  gall  me."  This  is 
sufficient  evidence  to  show  that  through  their  out- 
ward activity  they  took  advantage  of  Paul's  handi- 
cap thinking  to  annoy  and  harass  him.  But  their 
plans  miscarried  in  this,  for  the  aged  prisoner 
writes  that  their  opposition  really  has  ''fallen  out 
rather  unto  the  progress  of  the  gospel."  Their 
work  adversely  as  it  was  intended,  had  advertised 
the  gospel,  and  hence  Christ  was  "proclaimed." 
So  what  otherwise  would  have  been  a  burdensome 
solicitude  to  him,  became  a  source  of  inward  re- 
joicing. 

Last  of  all  our  prisoner  turns  away  from  the 
events  of  the  outside  world  and  their  relation  to 
the  gospel,  and  looks  in  upon  his  own  heart  and 
solitary  life.  He  takes  a  most  optimistic  view  of 
the  situation.  Just  as  he  saw  his  bonds  resulting 
in  promotion  of  the  gospel,  so  also  he  sees  in  them 
a  decided  benefit  to  himself.  This  benefit  he  des- 
ignates as  his  own  "salvation."  He  tells  his 
readers  that  their  "supplication  and  the  supply 
of  the  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ ' '  were  winning  factors 
for  him.  He  is  not  going  to  be  "put  to  shame." 
Whether  he  lives  or  whether  he  dies,  "Christ 
shall  be  magnified."  It  was  the  gospel,  then, 
of  which  Paul  was  first  of  all  mindful.  He  men- 
tions himself  only  modestly  at  the  last,  and  then 
dismisses  his  personal  case  with  an  indifference 
as  to  life  or  death,  thinking  of  the  outcome,  what- 

39 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

ever  it  may  be,  as  working  further  advantage  to 
the  cause  of  Christ. 

Study   VI — He    desires   to    live    to   serve    others 
through  the  gospel.     (1:21-26.) 

A  cursory  reading  of  this  section  might  lead 
us  to  the  conclusion  that  Paul  wanted  to  die,  and 
only  hoped  that  his  imprisonment  might  be  the 
means  of  hastening  his  departure;  that  his  inter- 
ests were  chiefly  in  another  world,  and  the  sooner 
he  got  there  the  better  he  would  be  satisfied.  A 
closer  reading  of  his  words,  however,  enforces  the 
very  opposite  belief.  He  explicitly  declares  his 
judgment  that  it  is  more  needful  for  him  to  live, 
and  leaves  with  us  the  inference  that  such  is  his  de- 
sire; his  motive  being  that  he  may  serve  others 
through  the  gospel. 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  there  was 
some  conflict  of  feeling  in  his  breast.  In  his  sit- 
uation who  could  avoid  it?  His  imprisonment 
made  a  violent  death  not  improbable.  Naturally 
enough  he  would  reflect  upon  his  end.  In  such 
situation  he  could  not  avoid  thinking  of  himself. 
It  is  not  surprising,  then,  that  he  made  known  his 
feelings  to  his  readers.  His  thought  as  expressed 
to  them  is,  that  life  is  more  or  less  transitory;  it 
is  a  * ^ departure, " — literally  the  ''breaking  of  a 
camp,''  and  has  been  full  of  hard  knocks  for  him. 
To  leave  it  and  enter  into   the  felicities  of  the 

40 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

heavenly  world  would  seem  to  be  decided  gain. 
Those  were  his  thoughts  in  his  imprisonment  as 
he  felt  the  chain  upon  his  wrist  when  he  wrote. 
But  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  outside 
world  with  its  sin  and  need,  he  no  longer  thought 
of  himself,  but  of  those  without.  Then  he  ex- 
pressed himself  in  a  different  strain.  His  more 
sober  conclusion  was  a  desire  to  live  to  serve  others 
through  the  gospel,  even  as  he  says,  "To  abide 
in  the  flesh  is  more  needful  for  your  sake — I 
know  that  I  shall  abide  with  you  all,  for  your 
progress  and  joy  in  the  faith;  that  your  glorying 
may  abound  in  Christ  Jesus  in  me  through  my 
presence  with  you  again.** 

It  was  a  worthy  aim  which  he  had.  How  like 
the  mind  of  Jesus  was  it !  He  looks  upon  his  de- 
liverance from  death,  not  as  a  personal  liberation, 
but  as  a  salvation  for  service.  It  was  in  the  mind 
of  Jesus,  we  know,  to  live  to  serve.  The  fixed  pur- 
pose of  His  mind  was  shown  in  the  beginning  of 
His  ministry  when  He  said,  "I  must  preach  the 
Kingdom  of  God — for  therefore  was  I  sent."  It 
was  also  shown  in  the  end  of  His  ministry  when 
He  said  to  Pilate,  "To  this  end  have  I  been  born 
and  to  this  end  am  I  come  into  the  world,  that  I 
should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth."  Paul  with 
the  same  mind  has  the  same  point  of  view.  His 
ambition  for  them  comprehended  two  spiritual 
facts.    First,  he  desired  to  serve  them  to  promote 

41 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

their  ** progress  in  the  faith."  All  our  gifts  and 
graces  are  given  not  for  our  personal  satisfaction, 
but  rather  to  enable  us  to  minister  to  those  about 
us.  Any  progress  which  we  may  have  made 
makes  us  debtors  to  others  who  may  not  be  so  far 
advanced.  Second,  he  desired  to  serve  them  in 
order  to  promote  ''their  joy  in  the  faith."  Here, 
again,  the  mind  of  Jesus  expresses  itself  through 
the  mind  of  Paul.  Jesus  said,  ''These  things  have 
I  spoken  unto  you,  that  My  joy  may  be  in  you, 
and  that  your  joy  may  be  full."  We  serve 
another  to  enhance  His  joy.  This  is  the  aim  of 
all  spiritual  service.  It  is  to  minister  to  men  in 
their  need  with  the  view  of  increasing  their  hap- 
piness. 

In  the  midst  of  the  service  to  which  we  are 
called,  how  many  times  have  we  been  ready  to  give 
up  the  battle !  When  weariness  has  oppressed  us, 
and  discouragements  overtaken  us,  and  dangers 
threatened  us,  we  have  felt  like  the  ancient 
prophet  who  wished  that  he  might  die.  How  many 
altogether  wearied  of  life,  have  by  their  own 
hands  brought  it  to  a  tragic  end !  While  Paul  for 
a  moment  yearned  for  the  world  to  come,  he  did 
not  covet  it  so  earnestly  as  to  seek  an  enforced  mar- 
tyrdom. Wliile  he  was  weary  in  labors  and  per- 
secutions and  galling  chains,  he  did  not  hasten  his 
departure  by  a  suicide's  hand. 

42 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

Better  is  the  view  that  we  are  here  to  serve 
others.  When  we  brood  upon  our  own  disappoint- 
ments and  afflictions,  then  we  are  apt  to  exaggerate 
them  and  to  sink  into  melancholy.  But  when  we 
look  upon  life  not  in  a  self -centered  way,  but  upon 
it  as  a  field  for  service,  then  our  own  afflictions  are 
lost  in  our  interest  in  others.  Paul  did  not  long 
think  of  himself  when  he  assumed  that  it  might 
be  "gain"  to  die;  for  his  mind  was  upon  others 
and  the  gospel  of  Christ.  So  better  is  the  view 
that  we  are  here  to  serve  others,  and  that  it  is 
Christ-like  to  abide  our  time;  that  meanwhile  we 
are  to  do  all  the  good  we  can,  and  in  any  event  to 
submit  ourselves  to  the  order  of  the  Father.  Such 
was  the  mind  of  Christ  who  submitted  Himself 
to  the  will  of  the  Father,  saying,  "Not  as  I  will, 
but  as  Thou,  wilt,"  drinking  the  cup  to  its  last 
dregs  for  our  sakes.  So  also  should  this  mind  be 
in  us  which  was  in  Him.  Our  departure  will  take 
care  of  itself  if  we  serve  others  faithfully.  In 
other  words,  the  best  way  to  prepare  to  die  is  to 
live  to  serve. 

Study  VII — Paul  covets  the  preservation  of  the 
gospel  through  steadfast  and  courageous  striv- 
ing.    (1:27-30.) 

Paul's  mindfulness  of  the  gospel  is  again  in- 
dicated when  he  points  out  the  relation  the  Phil- 

43 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

ippians  should  sustain  to  its  preservation. 
"Whether  he  sees  them  again  or  not  he  is  anxious 
that  their  "manner  of  life  be  worthy  of  the  gos- 
pel." Translated  literally  this  passage  reads, 
''perform  your  duty  as  citizens  worthily  of  the 
gospel."  The  exhortation  which  follows  shows  him 
to  be  anxious  that  their  duty  shall  be  so  well  per- 
formed, that  the  gospel  shall  not  suffer  injury. 

The  first  duty  suggested  is  constancy, — "Stand 
fast  in  one  spirit  with  one  soul."  It  is  the  figure 
of  the  amphitheater  which  he  has  in  mind.  Crim- 
inals and  captives  were  condemned  to  fight  with 
wild  beasts  for  their  lives.  The  odds  w^ere  against 
them,  but  the  men  who  were  "game"  stood  their 
ground  and  fought  with  surpassing  desperation. 
So  Paul  indicates  to  his  readers  that  a  hostile  world 
is  arrayed  against  them,  and  only  firmness  and 
constancy  in  their  profession  will  insure  the  vic- 
tory. He  asks  that  they  may  be  united  in  this 
stand.  Nothing  unites  Christians  so  much  as  a 
common  enemy.  If  we  forget  our  doctrinal  and 
personal  differences  and  realize  that  we  have  a 
common  foe  in  the  world,  and  that  altogether 
we  must  make  an  aggressive  fight  against  this  foe, 
the  gospel  of  Christ  will  be  the  better  preserved. 
To  further  it  is  to  preserve  it;  and  nothing 
furthers  it  quite  so  much  as  a  united  steadfastness 
and  persistence  in  assailing  the  sin  of  the  world. 
It  is  probable  that  Paul  here  refers  more  to  per- 

44 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

sonal  than  doctrinal  differences;  for  lie  uses  the 
same  expression  ''stand  fast"  where  he  exhorts 
Euodias  and  Syntyclie  "to  be  of  the  same  mind  in 
the  Lord."  (4:1-2.)  He  was  doubtless  thinking 
how  the  quarrel  between  these  two  laborers  had 
hindered  the  gospel,  and  how  on  the  other  hand 
the  gospel  would  have  been  promoted  if  they  had 
been  united  in  "one  spirit"  and  with  "one  soul." 

It  was  in  the  mind  of  Christ  to  impart  a  spirit 
of  steadfastness  to  His  disciples,  for  He  taught 
them,  saying,  "It  is  enough  for  the  disciple  that 
he  be  as  his  teacher,  and  the  servant  as  his  Lord. ' ' 
"If  they  have  called  the  master  of  the  house  Beel- 
zebub, how  much  more  them  of  his  household! 
Fear  them  not  therefore ; — what  I  tell  you  in  the 
darkness,  speak  ye  in  the  light ;  and  what  ye  hear 
in  the  ear,  proclaim  upon  the  housetops.  And  be 
not  afraid  of  them  that  kill  the  body,  but  are  not 
able  to  kill  the  soul."  Jesus  knew  if  His  disciples 
were  firm  against  every  kind  of  outstanding  op- 
position the  gospel  could  not  be  injured. 

Paul  had  this  connection  clearly  in  his  mind, 
for  the  next  exhortation  which  he  makes  is  a 
"striving  for  the  faith  of  the  gospel."  The  word 
translated  "striving"  is  the  verb  from  which  we 
get  our  English  words,  athlete  and  athletics.  The 
language  therefore  indicates  that  Paul  still  has  in 
mind  the  figure  of  the  arena.  The  words  are 
graphic.    They  reveal  the  heat  of  the  combat.    We 

45 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

can  see  in  them  tlie  fierceness  of  the  wild  beasts 
and  the  desperation  of  the  combatants.  In  Quo 
Vadis  we  are  given  the  picture  of  a  giant  Goth 
contending  in  the  arena  with  a  maddened  bull. 
"When  the  beast  rushes  toward  him  he  grasps  its 
horns  in  an  opportune  moment  and  with  his 
powerful  strength  slowly  begins  to  twist  its  neck. 
As  they  struggle  and  strive  the  giant's  feet  are 
buried  in  the  sand  and  the  muscles  on  his  limbs 
stand  out  like  great  cords.  But  further  and 
further  he  turns  the  neck  until  suddenly — it 
breaks!  and  the  lifeless  carcass  of  the  animal 
falls  at  his  feet.  Paul  found  no  figure  which  bet- 
ter suited  his  persecutions  and  contentions  than 
that  of  the  arena  with  its  blood  curdling  con- 
tests. He  tells  us  that  he  ''fought  with  the  wild 
beasts  at  Ephesus. "  It  was  Paul's  aggressiveness 
that  stirred  up  persecutions  for  him.  It  is  ag- 
gressiveness always  that  stirs  up  the  animal  mad- 
ness of  sinful  men.  This  is  not  to  our  discredit 
any  more  than  it  was  to  Paul 's.  It  is  rather  to  our 
discredit  when  our  warfare  is  so  mild  and  inert 
and  prudent  that  no  opposition  asserts  itself. 

His  third  exhortation  is  to  courage, — ''In 
nothing  affrighted  by  the  adversaries."  This  word 
"affrighted"  is  a  decided  improvement  over  the 
Authorized  Version  translation  "terrified."  The 
word  is  used  of  horses  shying  at  any  unexpected 
or  unusual  object.     It  is  intended  to  imply  that  a 

46 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

sudden  fright  or  panic  may  arise  from  a  trifling 
cause.  But  the  believer  is  not  to  be  disturbed. 
Any  occasion  he  may  have  for  fright  will  upon 
closer  observation  prove  to  be  groundless.  The 
dangers  which  threaten  him  are  no  more  to  be 
feared  than  the  lions  in  the  narrow  path  in 
Bunyan's  story.  There  is  every  reason  why  the 
Christian  should  be  courageous  and  not  fearful. 
Steadfastness  and  outward  striving  against  a 
common  foe  implies  courage  for  the  conflict.  Paul 
does  not  forget  to  add  one  important  thought  with 
the  view  of  bolstering  up  their  courage.  It  is 
this, — the  issue  of  the  fight  is  already  determined. 
The  adversary  is  doomed  for  defeat.  These  are 
his  words,  "Which  for  them  is  an  evident  token 
of  perdition,  but  of  your  salvation."  In  the 
phrase  Paul  uses  a  law  term  which  means  a  "writ 
of  indictment."  The  word  was  used  especially  in 
Attic  law  as  laying  information  against  one  who 
undertook  an  office  or  business  for  which  he  was 
legally  disqualified.  Paul  then  tells  his  readers 
that  the  adversary  is  utterly  incapacitated  to  rule ; 
that  his  authority  is  usurped ;  that  he  will  be  over- 
thrown. This  is  as  true  in  our  own  time  as  in 
Paul's  day.  The  cause  of  God  will  triumph.  This 
hopeful  outlook  can  not  fail  to  inspire  courage. 
When  we  look  back  over  the  centuries  we  see  how 
gloriously  true  are  the  words  of  the  apostle.  No 
one  can  take  this  retrospective  view  without  being 

47 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

prospectively  optimistic;  without  being  filled  with 
the  conviction  that  the  issues  for  which  we  are 
contending  will  triumph.  They  even  now  are 
triumphing  and  they  will  continue  to  triumph  in 
the  measure  in  which  the  issues  are  raised  and  in 
proportion  to  the  persistence  with  which  we  con- 
tend for  them. 

Last  of  all  Paul  concludes  this  section  on  his 
mindfulness  of  the  gospel  by  holding  himself  up 
before  his  readers  as  an  example  of  '^ striving." 
The  things  which  his  readers  in  all  probability 
will  suffer  on  behalf  of  the  gospel,  he  tells  them,  is 
*'the  same  conflict  which  ye  saw  in  me,  and  now 
hear  to  be  in  me."  The  conflicts  through  which 
he  passed  on  behalf  of  the  gospel  are  sufficient 
proof  of  his  mindfulness  for  it.  His  epistles  show 
us  how  he  stripped  himself  for  the  arena  as  it 
were,  and  contended  for  every  vital  point.  The 
epistle  to  the  Colossians  shows  how  he  fought 
against  the  heresies  which  threatened  the  faith. 
The  letter  to  the  Galatians  shows  us  how  he  con- 
tended with  the  Judaizers.  His  writings  to  the 
Corinthians  reveal  a  heated  contest  with  certain 
men  lax  in  morals.  In  no  case  did  Paul  maintain 
*' discreet  silence."  He  made  open  war  upon  all 
these  insidious  influences  and  thus  preserved  the 
gospel  in  all  its  simplicity  and  purity.  He  knew 
that  this  was  the  only  way  by  which  the  gospel 
could  be  so  preserved.    This  is  why  he  exhorts  his 

48 


PAUL  MINDFUL  OF  THE  GOSPEL 

Philippian  readers  to  steadfast  and  courageous 
striving.  He  is  anxious  for  them  lest  their 
"minds,"  as  he  wrote  to  the  Corinthians,  "should 
be  corrupted  from  the  simplicity  and  the  purity 
which  is  toward  Christ." 


49 


PART  IV. 

The  Mind  of  Christ  creates  the  Christian  Mind. 

Study  VIII — The  Mind  of  Christ  is  a  single  and 
lowly  mind  in  us.     (2 : 1-5.) 

These  words  give  evidence  that  factions  had 
arisen  in  the  Philippian  Church.  There  are  no 
such  outward  evidences  of  these  in  this  epistle  as 
in  the  First  Corinthians.  It  is  probable  that  the 
factions  had  not  assumed  such  proportions  in  this 
Church.  With  his  bitter  experience  with  them  in 
Corinth,  Paul  doubtless  wished  to  nip  them  in  the 
bud  here.  He  introduces  the  unpleasant  subject 
with  that  graceful  tactfulness  of  which  he  was  a 
master.  He  prepares  the  way  with  a  foreword 
which  reminds  them  that  they  had  hitherto  been 
a  joy  to  him.  And  now  he  tells  them  that  they 
may  ''make  full"  his  joy,  by  being  ''of  the  same 
mind,''  free  from  "faction,"  manifesting  their 
"lowliness  of  mind,"  by  "looking  to  the  things  of 
others"  and  not  to  their  "own  things."  Finally, 
he  adds,  "Have  this  mind  in  you,  which  was  also 
in  Christ  Jesus."  To  have  the  mind  of  Christ  is 
to  possess  the  ' '  Christian  mind. ' '  Just  as  the  word 
Christian    means    a    disciple    of    Christ,    so    the 

50 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

Christian  mind  means  a  mind  like  Christ's  mind. 
We  shall  find  that  such  a  mind  in  its  last  analysis 
is  a  mind  which  unites  Christians  everywhere  in 
a  humble,  unselfish,  and  mutual  service.  It  is  the 
mind  common  to  our  Christianity  which  compre- 
hends the  meaning  of  Christ,  and  brings  the  whole 
Christian  world  into  a  single  body. 

It  is  in  accord  with  this  thought  that  he  ap- 
peals to  them  first  of  all  on  the  ground  of  the 
example  of  Christ  and  their  spiritual  experience 
in  Him.  This  is  his  appeal,  ''If  there  is  there- 
fore any  exhortation  in  Christ, — consolation  (per- 
suasion) of  love, — fellowship  of  the  Spirit, — 
tender  mercies  and  compassions,  make  full  my  joy 
that  ye  be  of  the  same  mind ! "  It  is  the  same  as 
if  he  had  said,  ''If  you  know  Christ,  if  you  have 
a  genuine  spiritual  experience,  then  factions  and 
the  pride  and  the  selfishness  which  they  breed 
can  not  exist  in  your  midst. ' ' 

How  like  our  own  problems  are  the  problems 
with  which  Paul  found  himself  compelled  to  deal. 
Few  of  our  Churches  have  entirely  escaped  the 
scandal  of  factionalism.  "We  know  how  they  have 
been  torn  asunder  and  their  usefulness  nullified 
through  the  animus  of  such  divisions.  If  the  four 
reasons  which  Paul  here  gives  for  peace  and 
concord  would  always  be  remembered  by  us,  har- 
mony would  at  all  times  prevail.  Let  us  briefly 
recount  these  reasons. 

51 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

First,  "If  there  be  any  exhortation  in  Christ." 
Our  union  in  Christ  should  exhort  us.  We  can  not 
dwell  in  Him  and  be  at  enmity  with  each  other. 
Our  common  Christian  life  should  make  us  one. 
Jesus  said  to  His  disciples,  "These  things  have  I 
spoken  unto  you,  that  in  Me  ye  may  have  peace." 
If  we  are  truly  "in  Him"  our  relations  to  each 
other  will  be  amicable.  Second,  ' '  If  any  persuasion 
of  love."  Love  does  not  breed  dissimulation. 
If  we  always  ^ad  true  love  in  our  hearts,  we 
would  ever  be  altogther  persuaded  to  live  in  peace 
and  harmony.  Love  has  this  quality  that  it  per- 
suades. It  does  not  compel.  Third,  "If  any  fel- 
lowship of  the  Spirit."  Fellowship  naturally 
unites  men.  But  "fellowship  of  the  Spirit 
unites  their  hearts.  If  there  is  genuine  spiritual 
fellowship  among  Christian  people,  factions  and 
the  enmities  which  they  hatch  can  not  live.  Fourth, 
"If  any  tender  mercies  and  compassions."  Liter- 
ally translated  this  phrase  would  read,  "bowels 
and  mercies,"  indicating  the  abode  of  tender  feel- 
ings as  well  as  their  outward  manifestation.  The 
example  of  Jesus  furnishes  us  with  rare  illustra- 
tions of  gentleness  and  tenderness.  His  mind  was 
kind  and  pathetic  in  its  compassion.  Has  our 
union  with  Him  not  made  us  like  Him?  How  is 
it  then  that  we  yet,  assuming  to  be  His  deciples, 
can  harrow  the  feelings  of  each  other  by  our  rude 
"slights"   and  un-Christian   demeanors?     If   we 

52 


^ 


o^ 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

had  the  mind  of  Christ  our  relations  to  each  other 
would  be  characterized  by  delicate  amenities  and 
graceful  courtesies. 

With  this  appeal  to  their  hearts  and  con- 
sciences he  directly  speaks  of  the  matter  which  was 
upon  his  mind.  In  brief,  it  was  that  they  might 
be  free  from  factionalism,  and  that  through  their 
unity  and  humility  and  unselfishness  show  that 
they  had  in  them  the  ''mind  which  was  also  in 
Christ  Jesus."  He  first  pleads  for  the  single 
mind — "Be  of  the  same  mind — of  one  mind." 
Christ  and  the  Father  were  one,  and  Jesus  prayed 
that  He  and  His  disciples  might  be  one,  "The 
glory  which  Thou  hast  given  Me  I  have  given  unto 
them;  that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  We  are  one." 
Paul  probably  included  in  the  above  term  nothing 
more  than  a  singleness  of  aim  and  purpose  in  the 
work  of  the  Kingdom.  We  must  allow  for  inde-  ^ 
pendence  in  thinking,  and  also  possess  tolerance  "^ 
for  the  independent  thinker.  How  many  times 
have  Churches  been  torn  asunder  by  disputes  over 
doctrinal  matters.  There  always  will  be  a  variety 
of  interpretations.  We  are  so  differently  con- 
stituted that  we  can  not  reach  identical  conclu- 
sions^^ be  of  the  "  sainejmind "  on  certain  sub- 
jects. Nor  is  any  other  situation  desirable.  In- 
dependence in  thinking  makes  certain  intellectual 
progress.  But  we  can  be  of  the  "same  mind"  in 
our  aims  and  purposes,  and  in  the  fundamental 

53 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

truths  ofjhe  Kingdom.  If  we  permit  factionalism 
to  divert  us  from  these  it  may  be  questioned 
whether  we  have  in  us  the  *'mind  which  was  also 
in  Christ  Jesus. '^ 

Paul  also  pleads  for  the  lowly  mind — ^' Doing 
nothing  through  faction  or  through  vainglory,  but 
in  lowliness  of  mind."  Factions  are  bred  by  a 
contumacious  and_haughty  spirit.  The  mind  of 
Jesus  with  its  native  elements  of  strength  was 
lowly  in  its  simplicity.  He  washed  His  disciples' 
feet,  giving  them  a  practical  example  of  humility 
and  showing  them  that  their  Lord  was  not  above 
the  servant.  This,  then,  is  one  distinctive  aspect 
of  the  *'mind  of  Christ,"  to  be  humble^  and  un- 
pretentious in  all  our  claims,  and  tender  and._afz. 
f  ectionate  in  our  mutual  relations. 

Finally  he  pleads  for  the  altruistic  mind, —  ^ 
**not  looking  each  of  you  to  his  own  things,  but 
each  of  you  also  to  the  things  of  others."  Altru- 
ism is  a  term  which  was  coined  by  Comte  to  dis- 
tinguish the  benevolent  instincts  of  man  from 
*' egoism"  or  the_selfish  instincts.  In  theology  and 
ethics  it  is  applied  to  the  theory  that  *'the  chief 
good  and  supreme  end  of  conduct  are  to  be  found 
in  pure  devotion  to  the  interests  of  others."  The 
world,  however,  seems  to  be  built  upon  the  princi- 
ple of  each  looking  *'to  his  own  things."  This  is 
the  ethical  code  by  which  most  men  conduct  their 
secular  affairs*     This  is  why  there  is  strife  in  the 

54 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

world,  and  class  distinctions  and  social  problems. 
To  give  this  code — every  man  for  himself — free 
course  in  the  world,  ordeHy  society  would  soon  be 
dissolved  into  anarchy.  Selfishness_is^an^arch  dis- 
turber that  makes  no  end  of  trouble.  It  has  no 
place  in  the  Kinp^dom  of  ['' righteousness  and 
peace7~~andr"joy. "  When  the  wife  of  Zebedee 
sought  aT^'  piac£'J_  for  her  two  sons  in  the  new 
Kingdom,  Jesus  said,  *' Whosoever  shall  be  first 
among  you  shall  be  your^^ervantTeven  as^he  Son 
of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to 
mmis^F."*^  This  pa^"Hge"'"sHows  that  altruism 
was  in  the  mind  of  Jesus  as  well  as  harmony  and 
humility.  What  a  blessing  it  would  be  if  Chris- 
tians everywhere  were  so  harmonious  and  humble 
and  socially  humane  that  they  could  say  "we  have 
the  mind  of  Christ ! ' ' 

Study  IX — The  Mind  of  Christ  is  illustrated  hy 
Christ's  incarnation  and  redemptive  ivork. 
(2:5-11.) 

Our  last  study  closed  with  a  reflection  on  the 
* '  altruistic ' '  mind.  The  single  and  lowly  mind  was 
a  preparation  for  this.  This  thought  is  further  en- 
forced by  showing  that  Christ's  advent  into  the 
world  was  due  to  the  altruistic  spirit  of  His  mind. 
He  relinquished  divine  prerogatives  and  became  a 
common  man  that  in  this  ''fashion"  He  might  be 
a  servant   to   the   world.     He   even  endured   the 

55 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

contumely  of  the  crucifixion  that  He  might  save 
the  world.  There  are  three  things  in  Paul's  de- 
scription of  his  passion  which  illustrate  the  mind 
of  Christ. 

The  first  is  Christ's  humility.    Paul  shows  that 
Christ's  great  aim  was  to  identify  Himself  witli'^'''^ 
humanity;  to  appear  to  the  world  not  as  divine,  ^ 
but  as  human.    He  aimed  not  to  dazzle  the  world  ♦^ 
with  the  exhibition  of  divine  royalty,  but  rather  ^ 
to  save  the  world  through  the  instrument  of  His  ^ 
humanity.     This  object  of  the  Christ  is  made  all 
the   more    clear   by   contrasting   His   pre-existent 
heavenly   state   with   His   earthly   state.     In   the 
former  He  is  pictured  as  being  on  an  * '  equality  with 
God"  and  "existing  in  the  form  of  God."    Three 
words  are  used  to  describe  His  relations  to  God  and 
to  humanity.    They  are  ^'form  (essence)  of  God," 
the  ^^form  (fashion)  of  a  servant,"  and  the  ^^ like- 
ness of  men."    These  terms  translated  into  simple 
English    mean    that    Christ    had    the    "outward 
mode"  of  a  servant  and  the  "resemblance"  of  a 
man;  but  that  there  was  in  His  nature  an  element 
which  was  not  identified  with  the  servant  or  the 
man  in  the  same  way  that  it  was  identified  with 
God.     The  outward  manifestation  of  His  life  re- 
sembled in  all  points  what  men  are;  yet  what  He 
was  in  reality  and  eternally  did  not  appear  in  His 
human  mode  of  existence.     He  was  in  "essence" 
divine.     As   Paul   therefore   contrasts  these   two 

56 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

states  of  Christ  he  brings  into  bold  relief  His 
humility  in  His  human  state.  It  is  definitely  stated 
that  although  He  "existed  in  the  form  of  God"  He 
counted  not  the  being  on  an  equality  with  God  ''a 
thing  (prize)  to  be  grasped."  He  did  not  re- 
gard it  as  one  would  a  "prize"  to  be  boasted  of, 
ambitiously  displayed  and  jealously  guarded. 
On  the  other  hand  "He  emptied  Himself."  That 
is,  He  relinquished  the  heavenly  state,  divested 
Himself  of  its  ineffable  glory  and  became  a  com- 
mon man. 

This  voluntary  emptying,  which  showed  the 
spirit  of  His  mind,  is  known  in  theology  as  the 
"kenosis."  This  term  is  derived  from  the  Greek 
word  translated  "emptied"  in  the  text.  The 
"kenosis"  has  long  been  a  matter  of  dispute  in 
theology.  The  question  which  theology  has  asked 
is.  What  did  He  empty  Himself  of?  Mediaeval 
and  Reformed  Theology  attempted  to  answer  this 
question  by  defining  Christ's  limitations  after  the 
emptying.  This  is  yet  a  live  question  with  us. 
What  did  He  empty  Himself  of?  He  certainly 
divested  Himself  of  the  glory  of  His  previous 
heavenly  state.  But  was  this  all  ?  If  He  retained 
His  divine  powers  without  limit  He  is  less  a  Savior 
for  us.  In  accordance  with  this  supposition  our 
modern  theology  lays  emphasis  on  His  humanity 
as  never  before. 

It  can  not  be  within  the  scope  of  this  brief 

57 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

exposition  to  outline  in  detail  the  limitations  which 
His  incarnated  state  imposed  upon  Him.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  the  Gospels  recognize  limitations  in 
His  knowledge,  (Luke  2:40-52.  M'S~l3732); 
in  His  temptation,  (Matt.  4:1-11);  in  His  inter- 
course with  the  Father,  (Matt.  27:  46)  ;  and  in  His 
'^ glory/'  (Jno.  17:4-5).  In  short,  His  relinquish- 
ment of  His  former  divine  state  left  Him  with 
some  mental  limitation,  human  weakness  and  hu- 
man dependence.  Neither  of  the  latter  could  be 
made  possible  without  the  former.  "We  know  that 
He  grew  as  other  men,  that  His  consciousness 
gradually  dawned,  that  His  weakness  in  His  na- 
ture was  much  in  evidence,  and  that  His  depend- 
ence is  abundantly  illustrated  by  His  words  and 
prayers.  This  general  fact  made  His  victory  over 
the  world  all  the  more  complete  and  encourages 
us  in  the  battle  of  life.  If  His  victory  was  achieved 
without  stripped  divinity  or  without  limited  hu- 
manity, how  could  we  believe  that  finite  beings  like 
us  could  overcome  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the 
devil  ?  It  was  then  in  the  mind  of  Christ  to  empty 
Himself  in  order  to  become  a  Savior  to  men.  He 
aimed  not  at  sovereignty,  but  at  salvation. 

Second,  His  mind  was  also  illustrated  by  His 
obedience  to  the  divine  order.  The  plan  of  God  for 
the  world  involved  Christ's  emptjdng.  Behind  the 
advent  there  were  divine  counsels  of  which  we 
know  nothing.     What  these  were  and  how  they 

58 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

prompted  the  incarnation  we  know  not.  But  we  do 
know  that  for  some  reason  it  was  in  Christ's  mind 
to  relinquish  His  divine  place,  to  come  to  earth 
and  to  submit  Himself  to  death.  While  His 
emptying  was  voluntary,  yet  it  was  done  with  the 
view  of  fulfilling  the  will  of  the  Father.  This  act 
lays  bare  to  us  an  important  aspect  of  His  mind. 
It  was  His  aim  to  be  obedient  in  every  condition 
in  which  the  Father  may  have  been  pleased  to 
place  Him. 

His  obedience  is  further  illustrated  by  the  deg- 
radation of  His  death,  dying  as  a  criminal  among 
men.  As  a  Roman  citizen  Paul  could  not  have 
been  so  degraded.  Even  though  execution  threat- 
ened him,  he  knew  no  Roman  citizen  could  be  cru- 
cified, that  is,  executed  as  a  criminal  slave.  This 
lowest  degradation  to  which  human  beings  in  the 
empire  could  be  reduced,  must  have  appealed  to 
him  with  no  little  force  as  he  thought  of  his  Savior 
being  compelled  to  endure  it.  And  yet  it  was  in 
the  mind  of  Christ  to  be  obedient  even  unto  this 
death,  should  the  plan  of  the  Father  require  it. 

Third,  His  incarnation  showed  His  mind  to 
contain  an  aim  to  serve  the  world.  The  whole  end 
of  His  emptying  and  submission  to  the  divine  plan 
was  to  serve  the  world.  He  aimed  then  not  at 
retaining  sovereignty,  but  at  accomplishing  a  serv- 
ice. It  was  the  altruistic  spirit  of  His  heart  and 
mind  that  prompted  Him  to  leave  His  heavenly 

59 


0 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

home  and  to  come  to  earth  to  minister  to  men. 
It  was  because  He  counted  others  "better  than 
Himself,"  and  did  not  look  ''to  His  own  things, 


/ 

Jy         but — to  the  things  of  others."    In  the  person  and 

%""  ,^'       work  of  Christ  is  revealed  the  fundamental  truth 
vt  ^    V  ^    of    Christianity.      He    is    the    standard    of    what  ^ 

J   ^  m      Christianity  should  be.     To  ascertain  His  mind  is 

''  u\A  ^^  know  how  we  should  live  and  act.     To  relin- 

^  J^u  quish  selfish  ideals  and  ambitions,  to  submit  with- 

■Jy  A^  out  murmuring  to  the  divine  ordering  of  our  lives,      y 

'  to  live  to  serve  one  another  is  to  discover  Hisjaiad. 

In   other  words,   these   things   define   for   us   the 

*' Christian  mind,"  or  what  is  the  same  thing,  the 

mind  of  Christ  in  us. 

Study  X — The  Mind  of  Christ  is  a  will  in  us  to 

work  and  to  live.     (2:12-16.) 

If  the  mind  of  Christ  dwells  in  us  we  shall  have 
the  same  spirit  and  ambition  and  energy  which 
were  in  Him.  This  is  the  next  thought  which 
Paul  presents  to  his  readers.  First  of  all  he  makes 
mention  of  their  obedience — "Even  as  ye  have 
always  obeyed."  They  had  submitted  their  wills 
to  divine  commandment.  But  he  makes  it  clear 
that  their  submission  was  not  slavish.  There  is  also 
to  be  an  independent  exercise  of  the  will.  In  other 
words,  they  are  to  "work  out"  their  "own  sal- 
vation." These  two  elements  were  also  manifested 
in  Christ's  mind.    His  submission  to  the  Father's 

60 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

will  was  complete.  But  the  determination  of  His 
own  will  in  carrying  out  the  Father's  purpose  was 
no  less  marked. 

So  the  mind  of  Christ  bringing  us  into  har- 
mony with  the  Father,  imparts  unto  us  a  will  to 
work  and  to  live.  This  is  Paul's  thought  when  he 
says,  *'For  it  is  God  who  worketh  in  you  both  to 
will  and  to  work. ' '  It  reads  literally,  ' '  The  willing 
and  the  doing."  To  will  is  to  do.  It  is  through 
this  willing  which  is  energized  by  God,  that  we 
work  out  our  own  salvation.  There  are  at  least 
two  things  in  his  mind  when  he  suggests  this 
self-reliant  work.  First,  he  was  thinking  what  re- 
lation a  submission  to  God's  order  would  have  to 
it;  for  he  not  only  says,  **Ye  have  always  obeyed,'* 
but  later  adds,  ''Do  all  things  without  murmur- 
ings  and  questionings ;  that  ye  may  become  blame- 
less and  harmless  children  of  God."  Through 
our  manifold  afflictions  we  may  be  tempted  to 
''charge  God  foolishly."  But  these  may  be  for 
our  good,  and  they  can  only  be  made  to  serve 
our  good  when  we  have  the  right  attitude  toward 
them. 

Second,  he  doubtless  had  in  mind  the  develop- 
ment of  the  inner  life.  If  salvation  is  to  come  to 
the  surface  it  must  be  "worked  out."  No  one 
can  do  this  for  us.  "We  must  manifest  it  to  the 
world  through  our  own  growth  and  development. 
According  to  our  will  in  the  matter  so  will  our 

61 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

development  "be.  '*It  is  God  who  worketh  in"  ns, 
and  we  must  work  it  out.  The  Greek  word  trans- 
lated **work"  may  also  be  translated  *' energy." 
It  is  the  word  from  which  we  get  our  word  en- 
ergy. It  is  the  same  as  if  Paul  said,  "Energize, 
for  it  is  God  who  energizes  you."  It  is  a  pulsing 
word.  It  was  an  exhortation  to  the  Philippians 
to  energize  their  salvation.  The  mode  by  which 
this  was  to  be  done  was  ''with  fear  and  trem- 
bling." That  is,  they  were  not  to  be  presumptive 
or  arrogant  in  an  effort  to  work  it  out.  His  mean- 
ing here  is  the  same  as  he  has  elsewhere  expressed 
it,  ''Be  not  high-minded,  but  fear."  Both  "en- 
ergy" and  "fear"  are  necessary  in  a  proper  de- 
velopment of  the  life  which  God  has  planted 
within  us.  By  fear  Paul  does  not  mean  "slavish 
terror,"  but  that  "caution  and  circumspection 
which  timidly  shrink  from  whatever  would  offend 
and  dishonor  God  and  the  Savior."  Fear,  then, 
gives  the  development  of  the  life  its  proper  di- 
rection, and  energy  furnishes  the  power  by  which 
it  is  to  be  worked  out. 

There  is  a  close  relation  between  the  inward 
development  of  the  life  and  the  outward  manifes- 
tation of  it.  Accordingly  Paul  next  in  order  pro- 
ceeds to  show  that  the  will  in  us  to  work  means 
more  than  working  out  our  salvation.  Carlyle 
makes  Teufelsdrockh  say,  "Not  what  I  have,  but 
what  I  do  is  my  kingdom."    This  is  Paul's  doctrine 

62 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

too.  We  come  into  our  kingdom  when  we  have 
a  will  to  do  the  work  which  God  has  given  us  to  do. 
This  means  a  will  to  work  against  every  form  of 
evil  in  the  world.  In  a  sense  this  is  a  working  out 
of  our  salvation.  Yet  one  may  through  a  quiet 
and  retiring  disposition  work  rare  spiritual  gifts 
to  the  surface  without  any  aggressive  work  against 
evil.  But  Paul  directs  us  to  a  decidedly  different 
kind  of  work.  We  are  to  challenge  **a  crooked 
and  perverse  generation"  in  its  sinful  rioting. 
Here,  then,  is  a  field  for  our  quickened  ener- 
gies. It  takes  a  strong  will  to  start  the  fight 
against  dominant  sin  and  a  stronger  will  to  keep 
up  the  fight  as  it  increases  in  fierceness.  The 
word  ''crooked"  means  warped  or  twisted.  A 
''warped"  generation  will  fight  for  the  things 
which  have  twisted  it.  How  the  mind  of  Christ 
determined  His  will  in  this  direction!  He  said, 
"My  Father  worketh  hitherto  and  I  work."  We 
know  how  He  worked  against  His  evil  generation 
seeking  to  get  the  twist  out  of  it  and  never  swerv- 
ing from  the  singleness  of  His  purpose.  The 
mind  of  Christ  is  in  us,  indeed,  when  with  un- 
slackened  and  unflagging  energies  we  boldly  and 
recklessly  assail  every  kind  of  sin. 

The  mind  of  Christ  in  us  is  also  a  will  in  us 
to  live.  It  is  not  only  necessary  to  show  a 
"crooked  generation"  what  Christianity  can  do, 
but  also  what  it  is.    In  fact,  it  is  difficult  to  show 

63 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

what  it  can  do  unless  it  first  be  shown  what  it  is. 
It  is  a  life.  When  we  live  the  life  we  have  the 
conviction  which  prompts  us  to  do.  This  was  the 
secret  of  Christ's  power.  It  had  its  roots  in  a 
pure  and  unsullied  life.  A  conviction  with  so 
live  a  connection  never  burns  out.  This  is  how 
Paul  expresses  it,  ^'In  the  midst  of  a  crooked  and 
perverse  generation,  among  whom  ye  are  seen  as 
lights  (luminaries)  in  the  world,  holding  forth  the 
word  of  life."  Latimer  burning  at  the  stake  in 
front  of  Balliol  College  together  with  Ridley,  said 
to  his  fellow-martyr,  ^'Be  of  good  cheer,  brother! 
"We  shall  this  day  kindle  such  a  torch  in  England 
as  by  the  blessing  of  God  shall  never  be  extin- 
guished." To  live  the  life,  to  be  a  light,  is  the 
first  condition  to  serving  our  generation.  With 
this  as  a  foundation  we  shall  ''not  run  in  vain, 
neither  labor  in  vain;"  neither  will  the  labor  of 
others  which  saved  us,  any  more  come  to  nought 
than  did  Paul's  work  in  the  salvation  of  the  Phil- 
ippians,  who  so  well  demonstrated  that  they  had 
the  mind  of  Christ  to  work  and  to  live. 

Study  XI — The  Mind  of  Christ  prompts  us  to  a 
thoughtful  service.     (2:17-30.) 

In  the  last  study  we  saw  how  the  divine  life 
in  us  imparted  a  will  to  work  and  to  live.  This 
re-enforcement  of  our  wills  by  the  divine  energy 
sends  us  out  in  one  other  direction.     It  is  in  the 

64 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

way  of  helping  others.  It  gave  Paul  the  impetus 
not  only  to  challenge  the  sin  of  the  world  and 
to  hold  forth  the  light  of  life,  but  also  to  labor  on 
behalf  of  others.  It  is  a  graphic  figure  by  which 
he  pictures  his  life  as  a  service  to  the  Philippians. 
^'I  am  offered  upon  the  sacrifice  and  service  of 
your  faith,"  he  tells  them.  Literally  it  reads,  "I 
am  poured  out  as  a  libation  upon  the  sacrifice  and 
service  of  your  faith, "  It  is  the  figure  of  the  pour- 
ing out  of  a  drink  offering  in  religious  sacrifices. 
We  know  how  well  the  figure  fitted  the  life  of  Paul. 
In  Philippi  he  was  imprisoned  on  their  behalf, 
and  now  he  is  in  prison  again  for  the  preaching 
of  this  faith.  If  this  final  imprisonment  is  to 
terminate  in  death  his  life  will  indeed  be  poured 
out  for  this  faith  which  he  had  preached  in  serv- 
ice to  them  and  to  others.  The  story  of  ]\Iarcus 
Curtius  throwing  himself  in  the  chasm  in  the 
Forum  of  Rome  would  be  told  to  the  boys  and 
girls  of  that  city  in  which  Paul  was  now  a  pris- 
oner. The  famous  legend  w^ould  be  related  to 
teach  that  one  should  not  count  his  life  dearer 
than  his  country.  But  here  is  Paul  making  a  sac- 
rifice not  for  country,  but  for  humanity;  and  like 
his  Lord  teaching  that  it  is  better  even  to  die,  if 
by  this  means  w^e  can  enlarge  our  ''service."  In 
other  words,  the  cause  of  Christ  is  the  cause  of 
humanity. 

As  Paul  had  rendered  a  service  to  the  Philip- 

5  65 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

pians,  they  had  likewise  been  prompted  to  render 
a  service  to  him.  After  they  had  heard  of  his 
arrival  at  Rome  they  sent  contributions  to  him  by 
Epaphroditus  whom  he  designates  as  *'your  mes- 
senger and  minister  to  my  need."  During  his 
sojourn  at  Rome,  Epaphroditus  became  Paul's 
brother  and  fellow- worker  and  fellow-soldier;  and 
so  spent  himself  in  spiritual  service  that  he  was 
overcome  by  a  critical  illness  which  nearly  fin- 
ished his  life.  He  hazarded  or  gambled  his  life, 
is  the  picturesque  figure  which  Paul  uses  to  de- 
scribe the  strenuous  labors  of  his  effort  "to  supply 
that  which  was  lacking  in  (their)  service  toward 
(him)."  Their  service  to  Paul,  then,  was  only 
incomplete  in  its  mindfulness  through  the  lack 
of  their  personal  presence. 

Now  Paul  renews  his  service  to  them  as  well 
as  his  confinement  will  permit.  They  have  never 
been  out  of  his  mind.  He  hopes  for  deliverance 
to  see  them  again,  but  meanwhile  he  proposes  to 
send  Epaphroditus  back  to  them.  Epaphroditus, 
he  tells  them,  had  ''longed  after"  them  and  ''was 
sore  troubled  because  ye  had  heard  that  he  was 
sick."  Knowing  their  anxiety  about  him,  Paul 
will  forego  the  pleasure  of  keeping  him  and  will 
dispatch  him  at  once  that  they  may  see  him  again 
in  health  and  be  comforted  by  his  presence  and 
service. 

All  this  personal  relationship  and  the  mutual 

66 


CREATES  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIND 

service  which  it  prompted  is  interesting  and  sug- 
gestive. As  Paul  narrates  it  for  his  readers  he 
parenthetically  records  another  statement  which 
makes  it  all  abide  in  our  minds.  He  contemplated 
sending  Timothy  to  them  later  and  adds,  "I  have 
no  man  like-minded  who  will  care  truly  for  your 
state.  For  they  all  seek  their  own;  not  the  things 
of  Christ."  Whom  could  Paul  have  in  mind? 
We  can  only  conjecture.  Surely  not  any  of  those 
who  from  time  to  time  were  with  him  and  carried 
his  messages  to  the  Churches.  These  were  prob- 
ably on  other  missions  somewhere  in  the  empire. 
Yet  it  would  seem  that  there  were  some  there 
whom  he  had  considered  as  possible  messengers, 
but  who  had  not  the  mind  of  Christ  in  sufficient 
measure  for  the  responsibility  of  such  mindful 
service.  Only  Timothy  was  *' like-minded. " 
Others  were  centered  in  themselves.  This  was  a 
terrible  indictment  of  Roman  Christianity.  We 
can  picture  Paul  asking  one  Christian  after 
another  if  he  would  go  to  Philippi,  and  being 
balked  in  each  case  by  some  empty  and  selfish  ex- 
cuse; and  we  can  almost  hear  the  chain  on  his 
wrist  clanging  loudly  as  he  vigorously  and  in- 
dignantly writes,  "All  seek  their  own!" 

Do  we  always  find  men  *' like-minded "  with 
Timothy  when  we  have  a  mission  for  them?  Do 
not  men  usually  ''seek  first  their  own  things"  in- 
stead of  "first  His  Kingdom  and  His  righteous- 

67 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

ness?"  We  put  not  first  things  first  and  last 
things  last,  but  last  things  first  and  first  things 
last.  Our  own  comforts  and  luxuries  and  pleas- 
ures are  given  a  place  of  pre-eminence  over  the 
things  of  God.  Some  seek  their  own  and  not 
the  things  of  Christ,  and  others  seek  their  own 
more  than  the  things  of  Christ.  Hence  covetousness 
and  selfishness  stand  out  in  our  lives  in  ugly  con- 
spicuousness.  Is  this  Christ's  mind?  Jesus  made 
known  His  mind  on  this  point  in  the  parable  of 
the  marriage  feast  when  He  said  of  those  who 
refused  to  attend,  ''They  made  light  of  it,  and 
went  their  ways,  one  to  his  own  farm,  another  to 
his  merchandise."  The  phrase  "his  own  farm"  is 
significant.  It  sets  the  selfishness  of  the  man 
over  against  the  claims  of  the  Kingdom.  He 
sought  his  "own,  not  the  things  of  Jesus  Christ." 
This  was  not  the  mind  which  was  manifested  in 
Him  who  became  a  "sacrifice  and  service"  for  us. 
If  we  can  not  deny  ourselves  to  live  for  Christ 
and  one  another,  the  mind  of  Christ  does  not  dwell 
in  us.  We  need  the  heroism  which  was  in  Paul, 
in  the  Philippian  Christians,  and  in  Timothy  and 
Epaphroditus,  all  of  whom  were  both  willing  and 
ready  to  spend  themselves  and  to  be  spent  in  one 
another's  service.  It  was  the  mind  of  Christ  in 
them  that  made  their  lives  a  mindful  service. 


68 


PART  V 

The  Mind  of  Christ  Incites  to  a  Knowledge 

OP  Christ. 

Study  XII — It  incites  to  a  knowledge  of  Christ's 
righteousness.     (3 : 1-9.) 

Paul  begins  the  third  chapter  of  this  epistle 
as  if  he  was  going  to  bring  the  letter  to  a  con- 
clusion. ''Finally,  my  brethren,  rejoice  in  the 
Lord."  But  for  some  reason  he  makes  a  fresh 
beginning.  He  opens  again  the  discussion  of  the 
subject  which  he  considered  in  chapter  1 :  17-18. 
From  his  language  here  we  know  he  had  in  mind 
the  Judaizers.  Perhaps  Epaphroditus  brought 
word  of  them  and  of  the  damage  they  were  trying 
to  do  in  Philippi.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the 
account  of  his  return  to  Philippi  in  the  previous 
chapter  called  up  the  subject  here.  Paul  speaks 
as  though  it  might  be  irksome  for  them  to  hear 
this  again,  but  adds  that  it  "is  not  irksome."  It 
is  for  their  safety  that  he  once  more  speaks  of 
these  persons,  even  at  the  risk  of  wearying  them. 

Who  were  these  Judaizers?  They  were  Jews 
who  admitted  the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion, 
but  who  sought  to  impose  circumcision  and  legal 
observances   upon  the    Gentile    Christians.     They 

69 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

taught  that  the  Christian  religion  was  only  a 
branch  of  the  Jewish  religion  out  of  which  it 
sprang,  and  that  Gentile  Christians  should  be  in- 
corporated into  the  Jewish  Church  through  the 
rite  of  circumcision  and  the  observance  of  other 
requirements  of  the  Mosaic  law.  They  seemed 
also  to  have  laid  much  stress  upon  the  observance 
of  sacred  seasons,  feasts  and  festivals.  In  short, 
they  substituted  law  for  life.  In  this  study  Paul 
contrasts  their  righteousness  with  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ. 

The  Judaizers  worshiped  the  letter  of  the  law. 
They  had  the  legal,  the  conventional  mind;  but 
Paul  had  the  spiritual  mind  of  Christ.  Referring  to 
them  in  this  epistle  he  writes,  *' We  .  .  .  worship 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  have  no  confidence  in  the 
flesh.'*  Yet  he  tells  them  in  so  many  words  that 
before  his  conversion  he  could  boast  confidently 
enough  of  his  attainments  in  the  law.  Then  he 
proceeds  to  compare  these  Jewish  values  which  he 
once  took  pride  in,  with  the  spiritual  values  which 
he  had  obtained  through  Christ.  In  this  compari- 
son he  uses  a  very  interesting  figure.  It  is  con- 
tained in  the  word  ^'loss."  The  word  is  used  in 
the  classics  of  fining  or  mulcting  in  a  sum  of 
money.  Hence  it  came  to  mean  loss  or  damage 
of  any  sort.  It  is  a  commercial  figure.  It  is  as 
if  he  had  separate  columns  of  profits  and  losses, 
and  in  each  found  a  balance  in  favor  of  the  Chris- 

70 


INCITES  TO  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHRIST 

tian  life — "What  things  were  gain  to  me,  these  I 
have  counted  loss  for  Christ."  His  statement  is 
more  forcible  than  it  appears  to  be  in  the  English 
Version  in  as  much  as  he  uses  the  plural  word 
"gains"  and  the  singular  word  "loss."  The 
various  profits  are  counted  as  one  loss.  These 
profits  were  "circumcision,"  "stock  of  Israel," 
"zeal  in  persecuting  the  Church,"  "blameless 
righteousness  in  the  law."  Finally  he  thinks  of 
these  as  being  of  so  little  account  that  he  consigns 
them  all  to  the  garbage  heap — ' '  and  do  count  them 
but  refuse  (the  garbage  of  a  feast)  that  I  may  gain 
Christ."  Porphyry  who  wrote  a  work  against 
Christianity  which  was  burned  by  Theodosius 
II  in  448  A.  D.,  said  it  was  a  pity  that  such 
a  man  as  Paul  threw  himself  away  upon  the  Chris- 
tian religion.  Paul  did  not  share  this  view.  The 
fact  is,  he  threw  the  world  away  rather  than  to 
lose  Christ.  This  world  with  its  Jewish  and  ma- 
terial values  was  a  garbage  heap  to  him  as  com- 
pared with  the  "knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus,"  for 
he  wrote  in  this  letter,  "I  count  all  things  to  be 
loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
Jesus  my  Lord  .  .  .  and  be  found  in  Him,  not 
having  a  righteousness  of  mine  own,  even  that 
which  is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through  faith 
in  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  from  God  by 
faith." 

Paul,  then,  had  in  mind  a  knowledge  of  the 

71 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

righteousness  of  Christ.  In  what  did  this  right- 
eousness consist?  First,  it  consisted  in  a  knowl- 
edge of  Christ's  righteous  viewpoint.  This  was 
spiritual  in  contrast  to  the  legal.  God  was  hence- 
forth not  to  be  worshiped  in  holy  hills  or  at  sacred 
shrines,  but  "in  spirit  and  in  truth."  The  com- 
mandment was  to  be  observed  not  only  in  the  out- 
ward letter,  but  in  the  spirit,  in  the  heart  as  well. 
It  was  not  sufficient  to  be  forbidden  to  commit 
adultery,  but  it  was  necessary  that  the  heart 
should  be  so  free  from  it  that  the  eye  would  not 
lust  after  it.  This  viewpoint  of  righteousness 
became  a  new  knowledge  for  Paul.  It  set  his 
brain  into  a  new  train  of  thinking,  and  caused 
his  mind  to  soar  away  in  its  new  freedom  to  spir- 
itual heights,  which,  since  his  day,  have  been 
reached  by  few  of  Christ's  disciples.  When  he 
realized  that  Christ  appealed  to  him  as  a  moral 
and  rational  being  and  not  as  a  perfunctory  crea- 
ture of  a  system,  his  joy  knew  no  bounds;  and  his 
vigorous  phrasing  of  the  legal  point  of  view 
spelled  out  in  large  letters  his  complete  scorn  for 
the  narrow  system.  He  now  saw  how  inadequate 
it  all  was  in  his  comprehension  of  the  unlimited 
realm  of  knowledge  into  which  Christ  had  intro- 
duced him.  Spiritual  verities  were  now  the  only 
real  things.  The  material  and  Jewish  values  be- 
longed to  the  fashion  of  the  world  which  was  pass- 
ing away. 

72 


INCITES  TO  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHRIST 

Second,  a  knowledge  of  Christ's  righteousness 
comprised  an  experimental  knowledge  of  His  life. 
It  was  not  enough  to  know  from  a  historical  view- 
point that  His  contemporaries  were  unable  to  im- 
pute sin  unto  Him.  From  their  testimony  w^e 
know  that  Christ  was  not  a  mere  theorist,  but  an 
example  of  His  teaching.  He  lived  a  righteous 
life.  But  the  knowledge  of  this  life  was  not  ex- 
traneous, but  intrinsic.  To  know  wiiat  He  was, 
is  to  know  what  He  can  do  for  us.  Paul  found 
this  out.  Hence  he  learned  that  to  know  Christ 
was  to  have  an  experience  in  Him,  to  know  Him 
inwardly  in  the  experience  and  the  heart.  This 
enabled  Paul  to  know  that  Christ  was  not  only 
righteous,  but  that  He  was  also  able  to  make  others 
righteous.  This  was  the  righteousness  not  his 
*'own,"  but  ''the  righteousness  which  is  from  God 
by  faith."  This  discovery  of  Christ's  righteous- 
ness was  not  an  hallucination.  It  was  a  knowledge. 
It  was  a  knowledge  that  came  to  his  heart  and  con- 
science with  certain  and  definite  indubitableness. 
It  was  this  assurance  that  enabled  him  to  say,  "I 
know  whom  I  have  believed, ' '  and  to  speak  of  God 
' '  who  shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ." 

Third,  a  knowledge  of  Christ's  righteousness 
included  a  knowledge  of  the  supreme  worth  of  His 
righteouness.    Was  it  worth  all  Paul  paid  for  it? 

73 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

He  certainly  thought  so.  If  his  Jewish  values  when 
estimated  with  the  spiritual  realities  created  a 
debit,  how  about  our  material  values?  Do  we  esti- 
mate them  as  loss  in  the  spiritual  transaction? 
Christ's  righteousness  is  worth  any  price  we  may 
ever  pay  for  it.  To  realize  its  incomparable  value 
is  to  be  ready  to  sacrifice  "all  things,"  and  "to 
count  them  as  refuse,"  if  need  be,  in  order  to  at- 
tain it.  In  our  daily  association  with  the  material 
things  of  a  tangible  world  we  think  of  them  as 
being  the  only  real  things,  while  the  spiritual  reali- 
ties do  not  seem  to  be  realities  but  rather  fancies. 
But  Paul  was  not  "blinded"  by  "the  god  of  this 
world."  He  saw  that  the  things  which  were  going 
to  abide  were  the  things  of  the  spirit.  It  was  worth 
more  to  him,  then,  to  be  righteous  than  to  be  rich, 
to  lose  the  world  than  to  lose  Christ. 

It  is  pertinent  to  ask  ourselves  here  whether  our 
righteousness  is  a  righteousness  of  our  "own"  or 
whether  it  is  Christ's.  In  other  words,  is  our 
righteousness  spiritual  or  is  it  merely  formal  and 
conventional?  The  words  of  Paul  on  Jewish  legal 
righteousness  contain  a  stinging  rebuke  to  conven- 
tional types  of  religion,  and  a  merciless  exposure 
of  superficial  forms  of  worship.  In  spite  of  such 
revelations  we  sacrifice  that  which  is  vital  and  real 
in  religion  for  the  forms  and  ceremonies  with 
which  we  have  adorned  it.  These  adornments  were 
doubtless  originally  invented  as  a  help  to  the  more 

74 


INCITES  TO  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHRIST 

perfect  apprehension  of  the  spiritual.  But  we  have 
let  them  become  a  harm.  Circumcision  in  the  be- 
ginning had  a  spiritual  significance,  and  was  orig- 
inally intended  to  keep  alive  this  spiritual  rela- 
tion. But  the  symbol  was  allowed  to  supersede  the 
spiritual  fact  which  it  represented.  There  is 
always  a  peril  here.  Judaism  fell  into  it;  and 
Christianity  can  as  easily  do  it.  To  do  so  is  to  let 
the  letter  kill  the  spirit.  This  is  to  lose  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ.  Where  the  knowledge  of  His 
righteousness  obtains,  the  tangible  forms  of  wor- 
ship are  transfigured  in  our  minds  and  hearts  by 
the  spirit  of  Christ.  To  possess  this  spiritual  point 
of  view  is  to  know  Christ  indeed. 

Study  XIII — The  Mind  of  Christ  incites  to  a 
knowledge  of  Christ's  sufferings,  death  and 
resurrection.     (3 ;  10-11.) 

We  have  seen  that  the  knowledge  of  Christ's 
righteousness  was  fundamental.  But  it  was  only 
the  beginning.  It  made  the  mind  of  Paul  yearn  for 
a  completer  comprehension  of  the  knowledge  which 
was  in  Christ.  He  wished  to  understand  Christ's 
righteousness  in  all  its  implications.  Knowledge 
is  always  progressive.  It  discloses  new  fields.  It 
creates  an  aspiration  for  larger  attainments.  The 
knowledge  of  Christ's  righteousness  revealed  to 
Paul  a  larger  knowledge  of  Christ.  It  was  a  knowl- 
edge of  His  sufferings,  death  and  resurrection.    We 

75 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

have  already  seen  that  the  knowledge  of  His 
righteousness  was  intrinsic,  that  is,  to  be  experi- 
enced. Likewise  the  knowledge  of  His  sufferings 
and  death  and  resurrection  are  to  be  experienced 
in  order  to  be  understood.  So  he  writes,  *'That  I 
may  know  Him."  This  knowledge  is  specifically 
defined  as  a  knowledge  of  the  ''power  of  His  res- 
urrection." But  this  knowledge,  it  is  immediately 
pointed  out,  is  dependent  upon  a  knowledge  of 
His  sufferings  and  death.  No  one  can  know  the 
power  of  His  resurrection  unless  he  has  experi- 
enced His  sufferings  and  death — *'That  I  may 
know  Him  and  the  power  of  His  resurrection,  and 
the  fellowship  of  His  sufferings,  becoming  con- 
formed unto  His  death." 

Then  the  first  thing  which  challenges  his  mind 
in  this  growing  field  of  knowledge  is  an  appre- 
hension of  His  '  *  sufferings. ' '  He  calls  it  a  "  fellow- 
ship." Christ's  sufferings  covered  the  whole  range 
of  His  life.  He  ''suffered  being  tempted."  He 
suffered  when  He  beheld  the  blindness  and  the 
evil  intent  of  the  Pharisees.  He  suffered  when  He 
looked  upon  the  multitudes  with  compassion.  He 
suffered  when  He  viewed  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and 
said, ' '  0  Jerusalem  ...  if  thou  hadst  known. ' ' 
He  suffered  in  Gethsemane  and  on  Calvary.  Suf- 
fering was  never  apart  from  His  life. 

His  disciples  were  unable  to  enter  into  the 
"fellowship  of  His  sufferings"  until  transformed 

76 


INCITES  TO  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHRIST 

by  the  power  of  His  resurrection.  At  the  Last 
Supper  they  did  not  understand  the  mystery  of 
Christ's  sorrow.  Much  less  did  they  comprehend 
His  words  about  His  passion.  In  the  garden  they 
were  so  unapprehensive  of  the  agony  of  His  soul, 
that  they  were  not  aroused  from  the  drowsiness 
which  overtook  their  eyes.  In  the  moment  when 
He  was  taken  and  arrested  they  did  not  go  with 
Him  to  suffer  with  Him.  They  all  but  disclaimed 
Him  and  "left  Him  and  fled."  Even  Peter,  the 
most  reckless  and  daring  of  all, ' '  followed  Him  afar 
off."  But  how  changed  was  the  attitude  of  these 
diciples  after  they  were  touched  by  the  power  of 
His  resurrection !  They  then  began  to  comprehend 
the  Scriptures  from  Moses  to  the  prophets  and 
their  hearts  began  to  burn  with  the  pulsing  of  the 
new  life.  Finally  at  Pentecost,  His  disciples,  im- 
bued with  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit,  proclaimed  the 
message  with  an  absolute  abandonment,  taking  no 
account  of  consequences ;  and  Peter  who  before  had 
said  when  Jesus  spoke  of  His  passion,  "Be  it  far 
from  Thee,  Lord;  this  shall  never  be  unto  Thee," 
now  fearlessly  preached  the  crucifixion  as  an  atone- 
ment for  the  sins  of  the  world  and  fastened  the 
blame  for  his  Master's  death  upon  his  Jewish 
murderers.  The  disciples  had  entered  into  "the 
fellowship  of  His  sufferings"  through  the  power 
of  His  resurrection.  It  was  then  that  they  began 
to  comprehend  His  mind  in  the  matter  of  His  mis- 

77 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

sion  to  the  world  which  made  necessary  His  death 
and  resurrection. 

We  have  "fellowship  with  His  sufferings"  in 
every  struggle  which  we  make  against  the  entrance 
of  sin  into  the  life  and  against  its  triumph  in  so- 
ciety. In  short,  the  temptations,  the  persecutions 
and  afflictions,  and  the  weariness  of  mind  and  body 
which  we  experience  in  the  battle  with  sin,  both 
within  and  without,  impart  to  us  a  knowledge  of 
the  sufferings  which  Christ  endured.  There  is  a 
sorrowful  Gethsemane  and  a  heavy  cross  for  each 
of  us  who  is  true  to  the  aims  that  characterized  the 
mind  of  Christ. 

The  daily  sufferings  through  which  we  pass  on 
His  behalf  may  be  spoken  of  as  a  daily  dying.  In 
referring  to  these  in  the  first  letter  to  the  Corinthi- 
ans He  wrote,  "I  die  daily."  Through  this  daily 
dying  we  daily  become  ' '  conformed  to  His  death. ' ' 
It  is  evident  from  Paul's  phraseology  in  this  letter 
to  the  Philippians,  that  he  is  speaking  of  an  eth- 
ical, as  well  as  a  final  death  and  resurrection.  The 
power  of  the  resurrection,  then,  is  to  be  manifested 
spiritually  and  ethically.  But  how  is  a  knowledge 
of  it  to  be  obtained  in  this  case  ?  By  a  death  to  sin, 
a  death  to  the  world.  Just  as  we  die  physically 
before  we  can  experience  a  knowledge  of  the  final 
resurrection,  so  we  must  die  to  sin  in  order  to  be 
alive  with  Christ.  This  is  a  conformity  to  His 
death.    We  know  that  if  we  become  "united  with 

78 


INCITES  TO  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHRIST 

Him  in  the  likeness  of  His  death,  we  shall  be  also 
in  the  likeness  of  His  resurrection."  But  have  we 
''died  with  Christ  from  the  rudiments  of  the 
world?"  If  so,  we  can  no  longer  find  our  life  in 
the  things  of  the  world.  If  we  have  died  such 
death  we  are  "raised  together  with  Christ"  and 
' '  seek  the  things  which  are  above. ' '  But  if  we  are 
groveling  among  the  things  of  the  world,  is  it  not 
proof  that  we  have  not  died?  The  mind  of  Christ 
incites  to  these  things.  To  suffer  and  to  die  with 
Him  is  to  be  ''raised"  in  new  and  progressive 
knowledge,  which  shall  more  and  more  discover  for 
us  the  very  mind  of  Christ. 

It  is  worth  much  to  us  to  feel  "the  power  of 
His  resurrection"  in  our  daily  lives.  Just  as  the 
sufferings  and  death  of  Christ  were  antecedent  to 
the  miracle  of  the  resurrection,  so  our  conformity 
to  the  ethical  death  will  bring  about  a  continual 
demonstration  of  ' '  the  power  of  His  resurrection ' ' 
in  us.  Paul  wrote  to  the  Romans,  "If  the  Spirit 
of  Him  that  raised  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwelleth 
in  you.  He  that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead 
shall  give  life  also  to  your  mortal  bodies  through 
His  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you."  Then  the  same 
power  which  raised  Jesus  from  the  dead  is  to 
dwell  in  us,  to  be  at  our  disposal !  With  such  a 
resource  as  this  can  there  be  any  limit  to  our  spirit- 
ual ability  ?  Our  triumph  over  sin  is  assured.  The 
moral  and  ethical  progress  of  Christianity  in  the 

79 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

world  is  proof  that  a  force  greater  than  sin  has 
been  at  work.  An  ancient  Greek  said  that  if  he 
could  find  a  fulcrum  for  his  lever  he  could  lift  the 
world.  But  we  have  found  the  fulcrum  in  the  res- 
urrection of  Christ ;  for  this  power  has  everywhere 
become  a  powerful  lever  in  the  hearts  of  Christians 
which  is  lifting  the  world.  This  is  proof  enough 
of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus.  Had  we  no  historical 
evidence  that  He  was  raised,  surely  we  should 
know  it  through  the  witness  and  the  indwelling 
power  of  the  Spirit.  "When  one  for  the  first  time 
looks  upon  Westminster  Abbey  he  is  apt  to  be  dis- 
appointed in  this  world-renowned  building.  As 
he  views  the  walls  black  with  age,  and  the 
dingy  and  somber  windows  with  conspicuous  leaden 
framework,  he  is  apt  to  say,  ''Well,  after  all,  is 
this  Westminster  Abbey?"  But  he  has  had  only 
an  outside  view  of  the  building.  After  he  has 
entered  and  seen  the  beauty  of  the  interior  fur- 
nishings and  the  mellow  golden  light  streaming 
through  the  windows  which  now  show  their  beauty 
and  exquisite  art,  and  has  heard  the  great  organ 
so  well  described  by  Washington  Irving  in  the 
''Sketch  Book,"  he  is  apt  to  be  convinced  that 
Westminster  Abbey  can  not  be  exaggerated.  The 
truest  way  to  view  the  life  of  Christ  is  not  in  its 
external  historical  phases,  but  in  its  inward  aspects 
and  power.  This  knowledge  incites  to  a  knowledge 
of  His  sufferings  and  death  and  resurrection.     To 

80 


INCITES  TO  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHRIST 

''know  Him"  is  to  know  Him  in  all  these  phases. 
And  as  these  become  real  in  our  life,  do  we  have 
the  hope  that  we  ''may  attain  unto  the  (final)  res- 
urrection of  the  dead?" 

Study  XIV — The  Mind  of  Christ  incites  us  to  a 
knowledge  of  Christ  as  a  goal  of  life.  (3: 
12-16.) 

The  ethical  and  spiritual  resurrection  is  re- 
garded by  Paul  as  a  preparation  for  the  final  res- 
urrection to  which  he  hopes  at  last  to  attain.  The 
moral  furnishing  which  it  brings  to  the  life 
through  the  "power  of  His  resurrection"  is  not 
the  end.  It  is  to  make  life  a  means  to  a  larger  end. 
It  is,  in  fact,  a  discipline  for  the  race  of  life  with 
eternal  life  as  a  goal.  Our  daily  suffering  and 
dying,  then,  together  with  the  spiritual  life  which 
it  resurrects,  is  but  the  strife  for  the  final  prize. 

Paul's  knowledge  of  Christ  stimulated  him  to 
greater  mental  attainments.  We  have  seen  how 
he  sought  to  understand  more  perfectly  the  nature 
of  His  righteousness  and  the  meaning  of  the  power 
of  the  resurrection  Now  he  presses  on  in  this 
knowledge  and  seeks  to  apprehend  that  for  which 
he  "was  laid  hold  on  by  Christ  Jesus."  In  other 
words,  he  wants  to  fathom  the  meaning  of  eternal 
life  which  Christ  held  out  as  a  prize  to  him  when 
He  called  him.  He  spares  no  effort  to  complete 
the  knowledge  which  began  with  a  knowledge  of 
6  81 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

Christ's  righteousness  and  which  since  that  day 
has  become  increasingly  limitless. 

He  uses  one  of  his  favorite  figures  to  express 
his  meaning.  It  is  the  picture  of  a  chariot  race. 
The  entire  passage  quivers  with  energy.  He  tells 
hisL  readers  that  he  presses  on  in  the  race  that  he 
may  grasp  the  prize,  in  as  much  as  Christ  had 
already  grasped  him,  having  this  prize  in  view  for 
him.  So  like  the  charioteer  he  pays  no  attention 
to  the  things  which  are  behind  him,  but  strains 
forward  in  the  race  looking  ahead  to  the  goal. 
"What  a  realistic  picture !  horses  galloping,  chariots 
rattling,  dust  rolling,  crowds  cheering!  He  would 
have  his  readers  believe  that  the  Christian  race 
is  no  less  real,  and  that  every  caution  and  energy 
necessary  in  the  one  is  essential  in  the  other. 

The  first  thing  which  he  suggests  is  to  fix  the 
eye  upon  the  goal.  Christ  as  the  goal  is  nothing 
other  than  eternal  life  and  the  infinite  knowledge 
which  it  comprises.  That  we  may  enter  into  this 
knowledge  is  the  reason  Christ  laid  hold  on  us  in 
our  conviction  and  conversion.  There  can  be  no 
goal  without  this.  Unless  we  have  been  thus  se- 
lected by  Christ  for  the  race,  we  shall  have  no  out- 
look toward  the  infinite  knowledge  which  is  the  goal 
of  this  race.  If  we  have  laid  hold  upon  the  world 
and  have  loosened  the  grasp  of  Christ,  then  we 
have  no  goal  to  speak  of.  The  things  which  are 
transient  and  must  at  last  pass  away  contain  the 

82 


INCITES  TO  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHRIST 

promise  of  little  to  those  who  spend  their  energy 
in  seeking  them.  The  race  for  these  things  will  in 
the  end  prove  in  vain,  and  the  effort  spent  to  gain 
them  will  be  worse  than  wasted.  To  lay  ' '  hold  on ' ' 
Christ,  then,  is  to  apprehend  the  things  for  which 
*' Christ  laid  hold  on  us."  It  is  to  see  the  goal  of  a 
knowledge  which  we  have  not  yet  attained,  and 
toward  which  we  must  make  progress  through  the 
years  of  our  lives. 

In  the  second  place  the  race  is  to  be  run  with 
an  abandonment.  We  are  to  think  only  of  the  goal, 
and  not  of  the  things  which  distract.  To  do  so  is  to 
have  the  same  mind  in  us  which  was  in  Him  who 
*'laid  hold  on  us."  It  is  to  ''forget  the  things 
which  are  behind."  That  is,  we  are  not  to  care 
for  them  or  to  let  them  divert  us  from  the  goal. 
No  man's  life  has  been  altogether  satisfactory. 
Paul's  was  not  to  him.  We  know  ours  has  not 
been.  But  we  can  not  help  that  now.  It  is  better 
to  bury  the  past.  It  is  well  for  us,  however,  not 
to  forget  it.  We  never  can  perhaps.  But  we  need 
not  let  it  hinder  us  now.  We  can  forget  it  in  the 
sense  that  we  shall  no  longer  care  for  it  or  be 
anxious  about  it.  Christ  took  care  of  our  past 
as  He  did  Paul's.  That  was  all  canceled  when 
He  ''laid  hold  on  us."  Now  let  us  have  the  same 
mind  about  it  which  was  in  Him  when  He  blotted 
out  the  handwriting  which  was  against  us.  Let 
us  rejoice  that  our  sin  is  now  behind  us,  not  be- 

83 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

fore  us.  He  who  has  not  been  ''laid  hoIH  on" 
by  Christ  can  not  help  but  look  behind.  His  old 
sins  will  trouble  his  conscience.  He  will  be 
harassed  by  a  life  which  has  not  been  accounted 
for  or  rectified.  But  it  is  different  with  those  who 
are  in  the  grasp  of  Christ.  Their  past  is  settled. 
It  is  abandoned.  They  need  look  in  only  one  di- 
rection. It  is  the  forward  look.  Christ  beckons 
them  ''toward  the  goal  unto  the  prize  of  the  high 
calling  of  God." 

A  third  exhortation  which  the  apostle  makes  is 
to  spare  no  effort  in  pressing  toward  the  goal. 
Think  of  several  thousand  throats  in  the  amphi- 
theater calling  wildly  to  their  favorites,  and  in  re- 
sponse to  their  cries  each  charioteer  straining 
forward  over  his  car,  lashing  his  horses,  and  urging 
them  to  the  limit  of  their  speed.  As  one  would 
select  a  favorite  to  run  in  the  race,  so  Christ  has 
chosen  us  to  run  the  race  of  life ;  and  He  urges  us 
onward  that  we  may  grasp  the  prize  which  is  eter- 
nal life.  Midway  in  the  race  course  there  was  a 
pillar  on  which  was  inscribed,  "spude  oneuse" — 
make  haste.  It  was  the  same  as  if  it  said  to  each 
contestant,  "  Do  n  't  relax,  do  n  't  get  careless,  do  n  't 
be  presumptive  in  your  confidence ;  the  race  is  only 
half  over,  press  on,  persevere. ' ' 

The  figure  before  us  is  one  of  progressive  ad- 
vancement. In  accordance  with  it  Paul  confesses 
that  he  had  not  yet  reached  the  goal — "Not  that  I 

84 


INCITES  TO  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHRIST 

have  already  obtained,  or  am  already  made  per- 
fect." Yet  he  adds,  ''Let  us  therefore  as  many  as 
are  perfect,  be  thus  minded."  What  does  he  mean 
by  these  apparently  opposite  statements?  Simply 
this,  that  he  was  perfect  in  that  he  had  compre- 
hended the  mind  of  the  Master  in  his  purpose  for 
which  he  "was  laid  hold  on;"  and  imperfect  in 
that  he  had  not  fully  comprehended  the  meaning 
of  eternal  life,  the  goal  toward  which  he  was  pro- 
gressing. In  other  words,  he  apprehended  the  pur- 
pose for  which  Christ  grasped  him  and  he  availed 
himself  of  every  opportunity  to  ''make  good."  So 
he  wrote,  "Be  thus  minded."  Whoever  under- 
stands why  Christ  has  called  him,  and  what  Christ 
would  have  him  do  and  does  his  best  to  do  it,  is 
"thus  minded."  To  be  "thus  minded,"  then,  is 
to  seek  to  attain  to  a  fuller  knowledge  of  what 
Christ  is  and  what  Christ's  will  for  us  may  be.  He 
who  does  this  to  the  best  of  his  ability  is  as  "per- 
fect" as  he  can  be.  We  shall  still  make  mistakes, 
but  if  the  intent  of  our  mind  is  true,  God  will  over- 
rule these  to  the  glory  of  His  cause.  This  is  what 
Paul  had  in  view  when  he  added,  "If  in  anything 
ye  are  otherwise  minded,  this  also  shall  God 
reveal  unto  you ;  only,  whereunto  we  have  at- 
tained by  that  same  rule  let  us  walk."  So  the 
principal  thing  is  to  have  a  right  attitude  toward 
God.  It  is  to  apprehend  the  purpose  for  which 
Christ  has  called  us,  and  to  bend  our  mind  in  the 

85 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

direction  in  which  this  vision  leads  us,  building 
on  the  foundation  *^whereunto  we  have  attained." 
To  such  one  God  will  more  and  more  *' reveal" 
Himself.  He  who  walks  by  this  "same  rule"  will 
be  ''perfect,  as  (his)  Heavenly  Father  is  perfect;" 
and  willing  to  do  his  will,  ''he  shall  know  of  the 
doctrine. ' ' 


86 


PART  YI. 

How  THE  Mind  of  Christ  Reminds  Us. 

Study  XV — It  reminds  us  to  he  mindful  of  our 
walk.     (3:17-21;  4:1.) 

In  the  last  verse  of  the  preceding  study  we 
read,  "By  that  same  rule  let  us  walk."  In  the 
next  verse  he  adds,  "Walk  even  as  ye  have  us  for 
an  example."  No  figure  could  have  been  more 
appropriate  than  this  in  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  chosen.  Christianity  is  to  be  lived  in  the  open. 
It  has  nothing  to  conceal.  It  is  a  "walk"  before 
the  whole  world.  It  subjects  itself  to  public  in- 
spection. It  challenges  the  world  to  examine  it. 
Its  disciples,  then,  need  to  be  mindful  as  to  how 
well  it  is  "walked."  We  know  how  Christ 
"walked."  "No  fault"  was  found  in  Him.  The 
knowledge  of  His  life  reminds  us  how  we  ought 
to  walk. 

Paul  was  so  conversant  with  the  mind  of  Christ 
that  he  felt  that  his  own  walk  was  creditable  to  the 
life  of  his  Master.  He  has  already  written  to 
them,  "For  me  to  live  is  Christ."  (1:21.)  He 
therefore  invites  his  readers  to  take  him  and  those 

87 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

who  labor  with  him  as  an  example  how  they  should 
walk.  In  fact,  he  exliorts  them  (as  Bishop  Light- 
foot  suggests)  to  "vie  with  one  another  in  imita- 
ting" him,  for  the  word  literally  means  to  per- 
form the  part  of  an  actor.  Moreover,  he  urges  them 
to  "mark"  (look  at  attentively)  those  who  "so 
walk."  This  would  of  course  be  necessary  if  they 
were  to  perform  well  their  parts  as  actors. 

Next  he  suggests  a  reason  for  this  careful  and 
cautious  inspection  of  the  true  walker.  "For 
many  walk,"  he  tells  them  "even  weeping"  in  a 
way  that  shows  them  to  be  "enemies  of  the  cross 
of  Christ."  Their  walk  is  characterized  by  strong 
terms — "their  God  is  their  belly,"  they  "mind 
earthly  things."  It  would  appear  from  this  that 
there  were  some  among  the  early  Christians  who 
were  trying  to  escape  the  hardships  and  the  self- 
denials  of  the  Christian  life  by  following  a  course 
of  easy  indulgence  and  lawless  living.  This  anti- 
nomian  tendency  was  fatal  to  everything  which  the 
cross  signified. 

Examining  Paul's  words,  we  may  classify  the 
enemies  of  the  cross  as  three  in  number.  First, 
they  are  enemies  who  shirk  the  responsibilities  and 
the  burdens  which  the  cross  may  bring.  To  make 
the  Christian  life  mean  no  more  than  a  formal  ac- 
ceptance of  Christianity  coupled  with  an  easy  and 
pleasurable  indulgence,  is  to  become  a  veritable 
enemy  of  the  cross.    What  was  the  mind  of  Christ 

88 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

on  this  subject?  Then  said  Jesus  unto  His  disci- 
ples, "If  any  man  would  come  after  Me,  let  him 
deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,  and  follow 
Me.  For  whosoever  would  save  his  life  shall  lose 
it;  and  whosoever  shall  lose  his  life  for  My  sake 
shall  find  it."  The  knowledge  of  His  teaching, 
then,  reminds  us  that  the  old  life  is  to  be  re- 
nounced, the  pain  of  separation  to  be  endured,  the 
suffering  of  contest  to  be  cheerfully  borne,  and  the 
work  of  discipline  to  be  persisted  in.  This  is  no 
easy  labor.  All  of  it  is  included  in  one  word — the 
cross.  This  is  the  pivot  on  which  the  whole 
Christian  life  turns.  He  who  avoids  it  is  an  enemy 
to  the  cross  and  untrue  to  the  very  mind  of  Christ. 
Second,  we  become  enemies  through  our  self- 
indulgence  which  prevents  sacrifice  in  the  interests 
of  the  cross.  The  ideals  of  Christianity  furnish 
many  with  a  certain  intellectual  and  emotional  in- 
terest who  will  not  commit  themselves  to  its  pro- 
gram so  that  it  really  costs  them  anything.  How 
genuine  sacrifice  and  self-denial  are  so  little  known 
to  a  large  number  of  Christians  is  enough  to  make 
Christ's  disciples  join  Paul  in  his  "weeping." 
His  strong  words  against  these  enemies — "whose 
God  is  their  belly,  who  mind  earthly  things" — are 
strangely  appropriate  to  our  own  times.  When  we 
remember  that  there  are  many  wiio  know  nothing 
of  self-denial,  who  never  deprive  themselves  of  any 
luxuries  they  can  buy,  or  forego  any  indulgence 

89 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

upon  which  they  have  set  their  hearts,  we  see  how 
well  Paul's  words  suit  our  own  generation. 

Christ's  thought  about  cross-bearing  was  not 
simply  a  denial  of  something  to  ourselves,  but  the 
denial  of  *'self" — ''let  him  deny  himself.''  This 
is  more  than  abstaining  from  a  luxury  or  fore- 
going an  indulgence.  It  is  the  renunciation  of 
ourselves  so  that  Christ  henceforth  has  the  right 
of  way  in  our  lives.  It  is  the  subjection  of  our 
wills  to  His  sovereign  will,  the  harmonizing  of  our 
minds  with  His  supreme  and  masterful  mind.  It 
is,  in  fact,  the  elimination  of  self  to  that  degree 
that  our  whole  life  is  to  be  ordered  in  the  interests 
of  glorifying  the  IMaster.  Anything  less  than  this 
is  an  intrusion  of  self  and  enmity  to  the  cross. 

Third,  worldy-mindedness  is  hostile  to  the  cross. 
How  many  are  so  conversant  with  every  fashion 
of  the  world  and  so  utterly  dumb  in  the  things  of 
the  Spirit !  They  know  the  latest  cheap  novels,  the 
most  recent  plays,  the  names  of  all  the  superficial 
writers  and  actors  of  the  day,  and  all  the  happen- 
ings of  the  sporting  world.  Nothing  of  worldly 
events  escapes  their  minds.  They  are  familiar  with 
every  phase  of  frivolous,  worldly  life.  A  wide- 
awake, worldly  mind  and  a  feeble,  dormant,  spirit- 
ual mind  enlist  us  in  the  class  of  the  enemies  of  the 
cross.  We  are  unworthy  to  be  His  disciples  if  we 
*'mind  earthly  things.'*  To  find  our  chief  delight 
in  conformity  to  the  things  of  the  world  is  to 

90 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

''glory"  in  them.  And  such  glorying  Paul  tells 
his  readers  is  ''their  shame.''  But  how  different 
was  it  with  Paul  who  found  his  chief  delight  in 
the  impositions  of  the  cross — "Be  it  far  from  me 
to  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
through  which  the  world  hath  been  crucified  unto 
me,  and  I  unto  the  world. ' '  To  know  the  mind  of 
our  Lord  on  these  things  is  to  be  reminded  of  our 
walk. 

Next  in  order  he  contrasts  their  life  with  the 
life  of  those  who  "mind  earthly  things."  Theirs 
is  a  "citizenship"  which  has  its  ideals  "in 
heaven."  It  is  not  for  this  life  alone.  It  is  also 
for  the  age  when  the  Lord  ' '  shall  fashion  anew  the 
body  of  our  humiliation."  As  the  enemies  of  the 
cross  made  the  body  their  "god,"  he  makes  it 
clear  that  the  life  in  the  flesh  is  not  an  end,  but 
only  a  means  of  gaining  the  goal  of  the  heavenly 
life.  The  life  in  the  flesh  is  not  to  him  a  "god"  to 
be  served,  but  is  instead  an  embarrassing  "humilia- 
tion." He  found  the  body  subject  to  temptation, 
an  instrument  of  sin,  susceptible  to  disease,  decay 
and  death,  and  a  drag  on  the  soul's  lofty  aspira- 
tions. For  these  reasons  finding  the  body  hum- 
bling and  embarrassing,  he  longed  for  the  time 
when  he  might  be  "conformed  to  the  body  of  his 
(Lord's)  glory,"  so  that  the  spiritual  mind  in  him 
might  have  a  spiritual  body  perfectly  adapted  to 
its  needs. 

91 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

The  heavenly  citizenship  is  perfect  in  its  walk. 
Its  final  establishment  is  spoken  of  as  a  ''working 
whereby  he  is  able  to  subject  all  things  unto  him- 
self." This  word  "subject"  literally  means  to 
''marshal."  The  harmony  of  the  eternal  King- 
dom, then,  is  preserved  by  all  the  citizens  being 
marshaled  in  a  perfect  walk.  That  thought  of  the 
heavenly  citizenship  with  its  ideals  brings  to  us 
present  duties.  We  must  walk  here  worthy  of  the 
citizenship  which  is  finally  to  be  ours.  Even  now, 
then,  we  are  marshaled  by  Christ's  master  mind 
which  commands  us  in  the  duties  and  responsibili- 
ties we  should  bear.  This  thought  of  what  our 
citizenship  is  to  be,  defines  what  it  now  is.  We 
know  this  life  is  not  the  end.  It  is  a  transient 
abode  in  our  journeying  to  the  heavenly  city.  But 
while  we  are  here  we  must  walk  worthily  of  those 
who  are  entitled  to  a  citizenship  there.  This  is  con- 
sistent with  the  thought  of  Jesus,  who  prayed,  "I 
pray  not  that  thou  shouldest  take  them  from  the 
world,  but  that  thou  shouldest  keep  them  from  the 
evil  one. ' ' 

Although  Jesus  said,  *'My  Kingdom  is  not  of 
this  world,"  we  know  it  was  in  His  mind  tliat  His 
Kingdom  had  everything  to  do  with  this  world; 
that  men  were  not  to  dream  away  the  present  life 
in  the  interests  of  the  future.  An  apprehension 
of  the  true  significance  of  this  heavenly  "citizen- 
ship" ought  to  increase  our  interest  in  the  pres- 

92 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

ent  and  make  us  more  ready  to  deal  with  its  prob- 
lems. This  certainly  is  the  effect  which  it  had  upon 
Paul.  It  is  the  very  connection  which  he  evidently 
has  in  mind  when  he  exhorts  them  in  the  next 
paragraph  to  ''stand  fast  in  the  Lord."  He  knew 
that  they  would  encounter  dangers  and  difficulties 
in  the  earthly  walk.  To  picture  these  vividly  to 
their  minds  he  brings  before  them  again  the  amphi- 
theater with  its  bloody  contests  in  which  rare 
courage  was  required  on  the  part  of  combatants  to 
''stand  fast."  Just  as  in  chapter  1:27,  he  urged 
them  to  ''stand  fast"  in  the  performance  of  their 
duties  as  citizens,  so  now  he  urges  them  again  not 
to  waver,  but  to  walk  courageously  and  steadfastly 
amid  threatening  dangers  in  a  way  worthy  of  the 
eternal  citizenship.  Does  not  the  mind  of  Christ 
remind  us  of  our  "walk"  in  this  regard?  He 
maintained  the  straightness  of  His  course,  ''did  no 
sin"  and  "also  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  the  ex- 
ample that  we  should  foUow  His  steps." 

Study  XVI — The  Mind  of  Christ  reminds  us  that 
IV e  are  to  he  like-minded  with  Him  in  our  dif- 
ferences.    (4:2-3.) 

It  would  seem  that  the  factional  strife  in  the 
Philippian  Church  had  given  Paul  no  little  anxiety. 
And  realizing  that  his  letter  is  coming  to  a  close, 
he  feels  moved  to  say  some  things  which  all  the 
while  he  has  doubtless  had  in  his  mind  to  say. 

93 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

Once  before  when  he  referred  to  this  dissimulation 
(2:1-5)  he  discreetly  avoided  introducing  any 
personalities.  It  is  significant  also  that  in  chapter 
1:4,  7,  8,  he  stresses  the  word  ' '  all. ' '  The  way 
in  which  he  treated  the  whole  affair  on  general 
spiritual  principles  could  give  offense  to  neither 
party.  But  this  was  only  his  tactful  way  of  pre- 
paring his  readers  for  what  he  is  now  about  to  say. 
He  is  ready  to  mention  the  names  of  the  opposing 
factions  that  perchance  this  singling  out  may 
shame  them  out  of  their  wrangling. 

This  personal  reference  gives  us  some  light  on 
the  trouble.  The  names  mentioned — ' '  Euodias  and 
Syntyche" — indicate  that  it  was  a  strife  between 
two  women.  The  social  position  of  women  in 
Macedonia  was  higher  than  almost  anywhere  else 
in  the  world.  She  was  not  a  chattel  here  as  she 
was  in  some  other  countries.  Her  position  was  not 
servile.  Her  independence  was  recognized.  In 
Macedonia  she  could  hold  property.  Not  infre- 
quently honorable  members  of  her  sex  were  com- 
memorated in  public  monuments.  In  accordance 
with  this  attitude,  women  were  given  greater  free- 
dom in  the  Churches  here  than  elsewhere.  She 
was  not  required  to  take  a  back  seat,  or  to  *'keep 
silence  in  the  Churches. ' '  "We  know  from  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  that  the  gospel  was  preached  openly 
to  the  women  here,  (Acts  16:13)  that  one  Lydia 
became  the  first  European  convert,   (16:14)   and 

94 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

that  not  a  few  of  the  *' chief  women"  of  Macedonia 
became  converts  to  Christ  and  workers  in  His 
cause.  (17;  4-12.)  Naturally  enough  the  free 
and  independent  spirit  of  these  women  might  lead 
them  into  altercations  upon  questions  of  religion. 
This  proved  to  be  the  case.  The  strife  had  evi- 
dently assumed  aggravated  proportions  as  would 
appear  from  Paul's  repeated  references  to  it,  and 
also  by  his  effort,  in  this  instance,  to  engage  the  co- 
operation of  others  to  bring  it  to  an  end. 

The  letter  does  not  enlighten  us  in  the  matters 
which  were  the  cause  of  the  dispute,  whether  of 
doctrine,  polity  or  personal  preferment.  For  this 
reason  we  may  assume  that  the  points  at  issue  were 
of  little  significance.  Otherwise  Paul  would  have 
taken  sides  and  pointed  out  which  one  was  in  the 
right.  It  was  all  the  worse  if  there  was  really 
nothing  vital  in  that  about  which  they  were  quar- 
reling. It  was  the  more  discreditable  to  them  if 
the  strife  was  kept  alive  by  the  littleness  and 
peevishness  of  their  minds. 

It  matters  little  what  may  be  at  the  bottom  of 
our  divisions.  It  yet  remains  that  they  are  wrong. 
It  is  a  sign  of  intolerance  and  stubbornness  in  us 
when  our  differences  become  so  marked  and  acri- 
monious that  our  friends  have  to  intervene.  There 
will  always  be  differences  of  opinion  as  to  doc- 
trines and  polities  and  the  fitness  of  leaders.  But 
it  is  to  our  discredit  if  we  take  such  things  so 

95 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

seriously  as  to  permit  them  to  disrupt  our  ami- 
cable relations  and  breed  dissension  in  our 
Churches.  The  plea  which  Paul  makes  ought  to 
cause  us  to  halt  in  our  headstrong  quarrels,  as  we 
may  believe  it  made  the  members  of  these  factions 
in  the  Philippian  Church.  This  is  the  apostle's 
plea,  ''Be  of  the  same  mind  in  the  Lord."  To  have 
the  spirit  of  love  and  of  service  which  was  in  the 
mind  of  our  Master  is  the  important  thing.  If 
Euodias  and  Syntyche  had  thought  of  their  agree- 
ment with  Christ  more  than  of  the  differences  be- 
tween themselves,  they  would  not  have  left  the 
shameful  spectacle  of  a  quarrel  to  be  discussed  and 
commented  on  by  the  Christian  world  in  the  ages 
to  come. 

Through  their  dissimulation  these  women  dis- 
integrated their  usefulness.  They  had  "labored 
with  (him)  in  the  gospel,  with  Clement  also,  and 
the  rest  of  his  fellow- workers  whose  names"  were 
"in  the  book  of  life."  So  these  women  had  been 
actively  engaged  with  Paul  in  the  work  of  the 
Kingdom.  His  estimate  of  their  labors  is  indicated 
by  the  strong  figure  which  he  uses:  for  the  word 
translated  "labored"  means  to  "strive  as  ath- 
letes." What  a  pity  that  such  strenuosity  of 
which  these  women  were  capable  should  be  ex- 
pended upon  each  other!  No  wonder  Paul  was 
anxious  that  they  should  be  reconciled. 

It  is  useless  to  speculate  as  to  the  identity  of 

96 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

this  ''yoke-fellow"  and  of  "Clement"  to  whom 
Paul  assigned  the  ministry  of  reconciliation.    It  is 
fortunate  that  there  were  in  the  Church  such  to 
whom  Paul  could  appeal  in  this  crisis,  and  who 
could  show  forth  the  mind  of  Christ  in  such  mat- 
ters.   "What  was  the  mind  of  Jesus  in  this?     His 
own  words  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  reveal  it  to 
us,  ''Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,  for  they  shall 
be   called  the  sons  of   God."     Yes,   these  peace- 
makers were  the  sons  of  God,  for  Paul  adds  their 
"names   are  in  the  book  of  life."     When  these 
peacemakers  read  to  the  disputants  the  words  of 
Paul,  "Be  of  the  same  mind  in  the  Lord,"  they 
could  also  have  shown  what  was  the  mind  of  Jesus 
by  quoting  His  very  words ;  for  it  may  be  assumed 
that  the  "logia"  of  Jesus  were  pretty  well  known 
in  the  early  Church,  if  not  by  this  time  a  written 
record.     These  are  His  very  words,  "If  therefore 
thou  art  offering  thy  gift  at  the  altar,  and  there 
rememberest  that  thy  brother  hath  aught  against 
thee,  leave  there  thy  gift  before  the  altar,  and  go 
thy  way,  first  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and  then 
come  and  offer  thy  gift. ' '    And  He  also  taught  us 
to  pray,  "Forgive  us  our  debts  as  we  forgive  our 
debtors."    So  these  women,  because  they  were  not 
like-minded  with  Christ  in  their  differences,  were 
misdirecting  their  energies  and  dissipating  their 
usefulness.    IMoreover,  in  their  unwillingless  to  for- 
give and  be  reconciled  to  one  another  it  would 
7  97 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

seem  that  their  names  were  not  written  ''in  the 
book  of  life/'  He  does  not  openly  say  so,  but  he 
leaves  ns  with  this  inference  when  he  significantly 
adds  that  the  names  of  these  peacemakers  and  the 
rest  of  his  ''fellow- workers"  were  "in  the  book  of 
life. ' '  The  ' '  book  of  life ! "  Is  our  name  written 
there?  Not  unless  we  are  "of  the  same  mind  in 
the  Lord." 

Study  XYII — The  Mind  of  Christ  reminds  us  to  he 
peaceful  and  serene  in  thought.     (4:4-7.) 

For  the  eleventh  time  in  the  epistle  Paul  speaks 
of  joy.  This  burst  of  exuberance  is  to  occur  once 
more  ere  he  has  finished.  In  this  instance  his  ex- 
pression of  joy  may  mean  that  he  would  have  no 
cloud  of  gloom  to  fall  over  them  because  of  their 
differences.  They  had  every  reason  for  joy.  It  is 
significant  also  that  in  chapter  3:1,  he  records  the 
expression  "Rejoice  in  the  Lord"  just  as  he  is 
about  to  make  mention  of  their  factions.  There 
can  be  no  joy  where  contentions  prevail.  These  are 
fatal  to  a  happy  fellowship. 

Now  he  pleads  that  their  factions  may  be  ended 
through  their  "forbearance."  The  root  meaning 
of  the  word  is  "reasonable,"  and  the  marginal 
reading,  "gentleness."  Both  ideas  are  contained 
in  the  word.  If  we  possessed  at  all  times  these 
two  elements,  a  selfish  and  contumacious  spirit 
would  never  manifest  itself  in  us.     He  appeals  to 

98 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

them  not  only  through  their  reasonableness,  but 
also  on  the  ground  of  the  anticipated  coming  of 
the  Lord,  ''The  Lord  is  at  hand."  To  remind 
them  that  their  Lord  was  coming  again  would  be 
to  remind  them  of  His  mind  in  the  matter  of  ' '  for- 
bearance." "What  was  His  mind  in  this?  We 
know  His  gentleness  was  pictured  in  the  Scriptures 
by  a  quotation  from  one  of  the  prophecies, 

"  A  bruised  reed  shall  He  not  break, 
And  smoking  flax  shall  He  not  quench." 

We  also  know  how  He  refused  to  be  drawn  into 
contentions  and  that ' '  when  He  was  reviled,  reviled 
not  again;  when  He  suffered,  threatened  not.''  A 
story  is  told  of  two  Scotchmen  who  fell  into  a 
dispute  about  their  kirks.  They  lived  in  a  double 
house,  one  in  each  end.  This  discussion  was  so 
spirited  that  they  parted  in  anger,  and  after- 
wards refused  to  speak  to  each  other.  One  day 
sometime  afterward  as  they  were  thatching  the 
roof  of  the  house,  on  opposite  sides,  they  reached 
the  top  at  the  same  time  and  met  each  other  face 
to  face.  What  could  they  do?  They  could  not 
flee.  So  one  said  to  the  other,  ''It  was  very  fool- 
ish for  us  to  quarrel  about  our  kirks.  It  strikes 
me  that  it  is  with  the  kirk  as  it  is  with  this  house. 
Ye  are  working  on  one  side  and  I  on  the  other, 
and  if  we  only  do  our  work  we  shall  meet  at  the 
top."  It  is  true  as  Frances  Willard  used  to  say, 
"Christianity  means  together,"    If  we  hope  to  be 

99 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

together  when  our  Lord  comes,  then  it  behooves 
us  to  be  of  the  *'same  mind"  with  Him  now,  lest 
He  may  **be  at  hand." 

This  appeal  to  reasonable  **  forbearance " 
prompted  the  more  general  statement,  ' '  In  nothing 
be  anxious."  They  had  had  anxious  thoughts 
about  the  unimportant  matters  which  led  to  their 
dissensions.  But  it  occurs  to  him  to  counsel  them 
not  only  to  be  not  anxious  about  such  things,  but 
to  be  anxious  about  nothing  whatsoever.  This 
shows  how  well  Paul  had  comprehended  the  mind 
of  Christ  who  said,  *' Therefore  I  say  unto  you, 
Be  not  anxious  for  your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat,  or 
what  ye  shall  drink;  nor  yet  for  your  body,  what 
ye  shall  put  on.  Is  not  the  life  more  than  the  food, 
and  the  body  than  the  raiment?  Behold  the  birds 
of  the  heaven,  that  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they 
reap,  nor  gather  into  barns;  and  your  Heavenly 
Father  feedeth  them.  Are  not  ye  of  much  more 
value  than  they  ? ' ' 

This  is  the  point  of  view  which  we  so  much 
need.  How  many  lives  are  brought  into  ruin  be- 
cause of  unbelief  in  the  Father's  providence.  We 
seem  to  doubt  His  continued  care  over  us.  Be- 
cause of  this  we  borrow  trouble  for  the  morrow, 
and  these  anxious  thoughts  bring  our  minds  and 
bodies  into  wreck.  How  many  have  gone  to  speedy 
graves,  and  what  is  worse,  into  the  mad-house, 
while  still  others  have  brought  life  to  a  tragic  end 

100 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

by  their  own  hand  because  they  did  not  possess  the 
mind  of  their  Lord.  Alienists  tell  us  that  insanity 
is  increasing.  Sanitariums  for  nervous  disorders 
we  know  to  be  crowded.  Everywhere  it  is  appar- 
ent that  our  modern  life  with  its  anxious  strain  is 
fast  developing  a  neurotic  temperament.  Here  are 
some  of  the  nervous  diseases  of  modern  medical 
science — neurasthenia,  hysteria,  melancholia,  cho- 
rea, mania.  Worcester  tells  in  "Religion  and 
Medicine"  of  a  certain  woman  recounting  the 
awful  torture  accompanying  such  diseases  who 
said  to  her  physician,  "Who  could  guess  that  the 
mind  had  so  many  doors  leading  into  hell  ? ' '  Says 
Worcester,  '*I  would  rather  break  my  thigh  and  be 
infected  with  tuberculosis  than  endure  for  thirty 
days  even  sub-acute  melancholia  and  insomnia, 
for  I  know  that  in  the  former  case  I  should  suffer 
less  and  recover  my  health  sooner."  Can  any  one 
doubt  that  the  anxious  and  foreboding  thoughts 
which  are  the  original  cause  of  nervous  disorders, 
are  fraught  with  perilous  harm? 

But  Paul  found  the  panacea  for  this  ill.  Christ 
was  the  cure.  This  is  His  prescription,  "In 
everything  by  prayer  and  supplication  with  thanks- 
giving let  your  requests  be  made  known  unto  God. 
And  the  peace  which  passeth  all  understanding 
shall  guard  your  hearts  and  thoughts  in  Christ 
Jesus."  A  study  of  our  Lord's  habit  of  prayer 
shows  us  His  mind  in  this.    This  was  doubtless  the 

101 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

secret  of  the  calmness  and  equanimity  of  His  un- 
perturbed spirit.  His  legacy  to  His  disciples  was, 
*^My  peace  I  give  unto  you."  What  we  need  in 
this  life  of  ceaseless  and  increasing  strain  is 
peace.  Paul  tells  us  that  prayer  will  secure  it  for 
us.  Nothing  will  sooner  soothe  the  troubled  spirit 
and  calm  the  turbulent  mind.  Prof.  William 
James  says:  *'The  sovereign  cure  for  worry  is 
religious  faith.  The  turbulent  billows  of  the  fret- 
ful surface  leave  the  deep  parts  of  the  ocean  un- 
disturbed, and  to  him  who  has  a  hold  of  vaster  and 
more  permanent  realities,  the  hourly  vicissitudes  of 
his  personal  destiny  seem  relatively  insignificant 
things."     (Talks  with  teachers  on  Psychology.) 

It  is  then  through  the  suggestion  of  prayer  and 
faith  that  peace  is  ushered  in.  This  is  the  same 
as  to  say  that  so  long  as  one  keeps  himself  in  an 
atmosphere  of  religious  peaceableness  there  can  be 
no  such  thing  as  anxiety  and  the  nervous  disorders 
which  it  breeds.  This  ** peace  of  God"  we  are  told 
*'passeth  all  understanding."  That  is,  it  excels 
the  ability  of  the  reason  to  relieve  anxiety.  Reason- 
able suggestion  may  help  much,  but  it  can  not 
surpass  prayer  in  its  ability  to  secure  inward 
peace.  To  carry  out  the  figure  which  Paul  uses, 
prayer  establishes  peace  as  a  '* guard"  over  our 
''hearts"  and  '/thoughts."  It  is  a  military  figure 
which  he  has  in  his  mind.  It  reads  literally  "to 
mount  guard. ' '    Peace  is  thought  of  as  the  sentinel 

102 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

which  patrols  the  heart  and  the  mind  to  keep 
away  such  pernicious  enemies  as  anxious  thoughts 
and  the  nervous  afflictions  which  grow  out  of  them. 
The  best  way  then  to  ''be  anxious  for  nothing"  is 
by  prayer  ' '  in  everything, ' '  The  words  ' '  anxious ' ' 
and  "everything"  occupy  emphatic  positions  in 
the  Greek  text.  We  are  to  be  anxious  about 
nothing,  no  matter  what  it  is;  and  we  are  to  take 
everything  to  God  in  prayer.  No  one  has  given  a 
better  paraphrase  of  the  passage  than  Dr.  William 
Arnott,  of  Scottish  fame,  ''Be  anxious  for  no-thing. 
Be  prayerful  for  every-thing.  Be  thankful  for 
any-thing. ' ' 

Study  XYIII — The  Mind  of  Christ  reminds  us  to 
spiritualize  all  our  thinJdng.  (4:8-9.) 
Paul  supplements  his  negative  exhortation 
about  anxious  thinking  with  a  positive  injunction 
to  right  thinking.  The  mind  preoccupied  with  the 
things  which  make  for  inward  peace  is  not  apt 
to  be  harassed  with  worldly  cares.  If  the  mind  is 
concentrated  upon  the  pure,  the  noble,  and  the 
beautiful,  it  can  give  no  place  to  that  which  is 
unworthy.  This  is  the  best  plan  for  all  our  mental 
processes.  It  is  being  tried  to  considerable  extent 
in  our  modern  life  in  the  form  of  the  power  of 
"suggestion."  In  fact,  a  hybrid-religious  cult  has 
been  built  upon  this  idea.  According  to  its  creed 
"  suggestioii "    dissipates    without    exception    our 

103 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

mental  and  bodily  ills.  No  one  can  doubt  the  thera- 
peutic value  of  "suggestion."  It  has  long  been 
known  to  the  medical  world.  Eminent  men  of 
this  profession  wrote  of  its  value  before  this  re- 
ligious cult  was  born.  But  "suggestion"  has  its 
limits.  While  the  mind  has  an  influence  over  the 
body  it  must  not  therefore  be  assumed  that  all 
bodily  ills  may  find  relief  through  our  mere  think- 
ing. Least  of  all  should  it  be  assumed  that  our 
bodily  ills  have  no  objective  existence,  that  they 
are  due  altogether  to  our  thinking;  that  is  to  say, 
are  mere  fancies  of  "mortal  belief." 

Life  is  not  a  delusion,  although  more  or  less  in- 
volved in  mystery.  The  objective  world  which 
stimulates  our  thinking  is  very  real.  But  there 
are  realities  other  than  the  material  universe. 
There  is  something  more  to  life  than  the  mere  com- 
binations of  physical  elements.  The  things  of  the 
mental  world  are  real.  Otherwise  we  could  take 
no  account  of  the  material.  Likewise  the  things 
of  the  spirit  world  are  real,  although  not  appre- 
hended by  the  physical  senses.  These  are  to  oc- 
cupy a  large  place  in  our  thinking.  In  fact,  they 
are  to  be  given  a  transcendent  place  in  our 
thoughts;  or  as  Paul  pictorially  expresses  it,  they 
are  to  "mount  guard"  over  the  ideas  which  enter 
the  mind  through  our  physical  tracts.  In  ac- 
cordance with  this  thought  Paul  suggests  that  our 
thinking    be    spiritualized.      The    word    "think" 

104 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

which  he  uses  means  to  take  account  of;  that  is, 
to  use  care  in  order  to  discover  the  true  value  of 
things.  This  power  to  form  a  discriminate  judg- 
ment is  the  most  distinctive  thing  about  our  nature. 
It  differentiates  us  from  the  animal  world.  Lotze 
has  shown  that  man  is  outmatched  by  the  animal 
in  all  his  senses.  The  lion  is  stronger,  the  deer 
swifter,  the  eagle  of  keener  sight,  the  hare  of  more 
sensitive  hearing!  But  man  has  gained  the  sover- 
eignty over  all  of  these  by  his  ability  to  think.  By 
applying  this  power  to  mechanics  he  has  outdone 
the  strength  of  the  king  of  beasts.  By  applying 
it  to  invention  he  has  outstripped  the  swiftest 
animals  in  his  speed  across  land  and  sea,  and  sur- 
passed their  keener  sense  of  vision  and  hearing 
with  the  telescope  and  the  telephone.  The  history 
of  man's  civilization  is  the  history  of  the  power  of 
human  thought. 

But  there  is  yet  a  greater  difference  between 
animal  and  human  life.  It  is  the  ability  of  man 
to  spiritualize  his  thinking.  The  first  difference 
designates  us  as  **man."  The  second  defines  our 
'* manhood."  It  is  this  distinctive  element  in  hu- 
man nature  which  Emerson  emphasizes  when  he 
speaks  of  * '  man  thinking ; ' '  not  man,  the  victim  of 
society,  a  mere  thinker,  or  still  worse,  the  parrot 
of  other  men's  thinking" — but  man  thinking  ''in 
his  heart,"  mth  all  his  inward  forces,  conscience, 
will,  and  emotion;  so  that  his  outward  life  is  but 

105 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

the  indivisible  echo  of  his  inward  thoughts  and 
feeling.  It  is  this  side  of  man's  nature  which 
Paul  has  in  mind  when  he  suggests  the  following 
six  subjects  for  spiritual  reflection. 

The  first  of  these  is,  ''Whatsoever  things  are 
true.''  The  word  means  truth  in  its  widest  sense. 
Carlyle  said:  ''Truly  a  thinking  man  is  the  worst 
enemy  the  Prince  of  Darkness  can  have. ' '  Christ 's 
whole  aim  was  to  get  at  the  truth.  He  spared  no 
traditions,  customs,  or  prejudices  that  might  con- 
ceal it.  He  tore  off  the  mask  of  all  conventions  that 
kept  it  hidden  and  brought  it  forth  into  the  open. 
Christ  stood  for  an  open  mind,  for  the  right  of  in- 
dependent thinking.  He  laid  down  no  scholastic 
scheme  to  be  followed  in  the  letter.  He  only  af- 
firmed, "I  am  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life." 

The  second  theme  for  contemplation  is,  "What- 
soever things  are  honorable."  "Reverend"  is  a 
better  translation.  It  has  reference  to  the  things 
which  truth  reveals.  These  are  worthy  of  our  re- 
verence and  moral  approbation.  Truth  is  not  to 
be  treated  flippantly.  It  is  only  a  frivolous  and 
superficial  mind  which  has  no  deep  reverence  for 
truth.  The  root  meaning  of  the  word  ' '  honorable ' ' 
is  "worship."  So  we  are  to  bow  with  devout  heads 
at  the  shrine  of  truth,  giving  it  our  deepest  and 
most  sincere  homage.  Did  Christ  ever  speak  frivo- 
lously of  truth  ?  Did  He  ever  jest  about  things  so 
sacred  ? 

106 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

A  third  subject  for  thought  is,  '' Whatsoever 
things  are  just."  This  word  is  defined  by  Thayer 
(Lexicon  of  the  New  Testament)  as  "righteous,  one 
who  is  as  he  ought  to  be;"  and  by  Lightfoot  as 
* '  righteous,  not  simply  just. "  It  is  derived  from  a 
word  meaning  "right."  Truth  creates  a  condition 
of  righteousness.  This  is  its  end.  It  can  not  be  di- 
vorced from  righteousness.  He  who  is  righteous 
will  be  "just."  The  injustice  which  the  prophets 
rebuked  in  Israel  was  due  to  an  unrighteous  condi- 
tion of  heart  and  life.  Jesus  said,  "Except  your 
righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into 
the  Kingdom  of  heaven."  All  true  justice  is  born 
out  of  a  righteous  heart. 

Fourth  "Whatsoever  things  are  pure."  What 
is  meant  is  the  life  which  stands  in  the  midst  of 
evil  and  is  not  contaminated  by  it.  Jesus  expressed 
His  mind  on  this  when  He  said,  "Blessed  are  the 
pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 

Fifth,  "Whatsoever  things  are  lovely."  This 
word  is  derived  from  the  verb  to  love.  It  has  ref- 
erence to  whatever  excites  our  love,  or  whatever  is 
acceptable,  amiable  and  pleasing.  The  English 
word  "admire"  is  a  feeble  translation  of  what  is 
meant.  We  feel  attached  to  the  things  w^hich  ap- 
peal to  our  admiration  or  excite  our  delight.  We 
know  how  Jesus  found  exclusive  delight  in  the 
things  of  the  Spirit.    These  are  the  truly  "lovely" 

107 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

things,  the  things  worthy  of  our  supreme  attention. 
They  should  have  such  a  large  place  in  our  think- 
ing that  we  should  ever  feel  drawn  to  them. 

Sixth,  ** Whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report." 
The  literal  translation  is,  ' '  Whatsoever  sounds  well, 
or  savors  of  good  speaking."  This  is  better  food 
for  thought  than  every  slanderous  and  unreliable 
tale.  If  we  put  the  best  construction  on  things,  and 
do  not  think  suspiciously  of  every  man,  our  think- 
ing will  be  of  a  higher  order.  *' Judge  not,  that  ye 
be  not  judged,"  said  Jesus.  The  word  ''euphem- 
ism" is  derived  from  this  word.  *'It  is  a  figure 
of  speech  in  rhetoric  by  which  a  word  or  phrase 
more  agreeable  to  and  less  offensive  is  substituted 
for  one  more  accurately  expressive  of  what  it 
meant."  (Standard  Dictionary.)  It  originated  in 
the  practice  of  the  Greeks  referring  to  the  evil  ele- 
ments in  their  gods  with  gracious  words  in  the 
desire  to  secure  their  good  will.  For  example,  the 
Furies  were  called  ''eumenides" — gracious.  The 
word  ''gracious"  is  given  as  the  alternative  in  the 
margin  of  the  American  Revised  Version. 

Finally  he  adds,  "If  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if 
there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things."  If 
these  things  are  worthy  of  any  excellence  and  any 
commendation  think  upon  them.  Could  we  think 
of  Jesus  singing  a  ribald  song,  or  telling  an  un- 
clean story,  or  using  slang  with  a  reckless  abandon  ? 
He  was  never  vulgar  or  coarse.    His  thinking  be- 

108 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

trayed  the  ''gracious"  refinement  of  His  mind. 
His  example  reminds  ns  how  we  should  spiritualize 
all  our  thinking. 

Study  XIX — The  Mind  of  Christ  reminds  us  to  he 
thoughtful  of  our  brother's  need.  (4:10-20.) 
Their  thinking  has  been  upon  objects  altogether 
''honorable,"  as  he  is  now  about  to  show.  They 
were  so  anxious  to  have  the  gospel  furthered  that 
they  ministered  to  Paul's  necessities  from  time  to 
time.  They  wanted  the  things  which  were  ' '  pure ' ' 
and  "lovely"  and  "of  good  report"  to  be  known 
to  all  the  world.  This  was  the  only  Church  which 
had  given  Paul  financial  aid.  Once  and  again  they 
had  ministered  to  him  in  Thessalonica,  and  in 
Corinth  also.  Now  they  had  sent  Epaphroditus  to 
Rome  with  an  abundance  for  his  needs,  so  that 
he  writes,  "I  have  all  things,  and  abound;  I  am 
filled."  He  calls  this  last  gift  "an  odor  of  a 
sweet  smell,  a  sacrifice  acceptable,  well  pleasing  to 
God. "  It  is  a  reference  to  the  pleasant  odor  of  con- 
sumed meats  in  the  sacrifice,  which  scent  was  pre- 
sumed to  be  pleasing  to  the  gods.  Likewise  he  tells 
them  that  their  gift  was  "acceptable"  and  "well- 
pleasing  to  God."  He  is  so  grateful  for  their  in- 
terest in  Him  and  the  substantial  way  they  had 
of  proving  it  that  for  the  tenth  time  he  bursts  into 
exclamations  of  joy,  saying,  "I  rejoice  in  the 
Lord  greatly,  that  now  at  length  ye  have  revived 

109 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

your  thought  of  me ;  wherein  ye  did  take  thought, 
but  ye  lacked  opportunity."  He  compares  their 
generosity  to  the  beautiful  burst  of  spring ;  for  the 
passage  just  quoted  reads  literally,  ' '  Your  thought 
of  me  germinated  afresh,  or  bloomed  anew."  His 
language  indicates  that  something  had  hindered 
them  from  helping  him  and  that  he  had  not  re- 
ceived any  aid  from  them  until  ''at  length"  this 
last  gift  was  brought  by  Epaphroditus.  It  is  not 
improbable  that  it  was  the  winter  weather  which 
hindered  the  sending  of  their  gift.  But  as  soon  as 
spring  opened,  then  came  Epaphroditus  with  their 
benevolence,  *' blooming  anew."  He  would  not 
have  them  believe  that  he  is  reproaching  them  for 
their  tardiness.  He  knew  they  had  been  thinking 
about  him  all  the  time,  but  that  they  "lacked  op- 
portunity" to  minister  to  his  need. 

Likewise  all  of  our  benevolence  is  an  evidence 
that  we  are  thinking  of  others  and  wish  to  minister 
to  their  need  according  to  our  ability.  If  on  the 
other  hand  we  are  closefisted  and  do  not  flower 
out  into  a  beautiful  generosity,  it  is  proof  enough 
that  we  have  no  root  in  us. 

Paul  would  not  have  them  believe  that  he  is 
soliciting  further  gifts  when  he  tells  them  ''at 
length"  their  thought  for  him  was  revived.  For 
he  immediately  affirms  that  he  had  "learned  in 
whatsoever  state"  he  was  "therein  to  be  content." 
He  knew  "how  to  be  abased,  and — ^how  to  abound; 

110 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

in  everything  and  in  all  things"  he  had  "learned 
the  secret  both  to  be  filled  and  to  be  hungry,  both 
to  abound  and  to  be  in  want."  The  word 
''learned"  is  suggestive  in  its  literal  translation 
which  reads  "initiated."  It  is  a  reference  to  the 
initiatory  rites  of  the  pagan  mysteries.  If  any 
one  had  ever  been  "initiated"  in  the  persecutions 
and  afflictions  of  Christian  service,  Paul  certainly 
had.  And  the  strangest  part  of  it  all  is  into  "what- 
soever state"  he  happened  to  be  initiated,  he  was 
* '  therein — content. ' '  He  did  not  mean  that  he  was 
satisfied.  The  word  "content"  really  means  "self- 
sufficient.  ' '  It  would  have  to  be  a  man  with  much 
less  ambition  than  Paul  to  be  "content"  in  some 
situations  in  which  he  found  himself.  He  was 
never  content  in  a  situation  unfavorable  either  to 
himself  or  the  gospel.  He  simply  accommodated 
himself  to  adverse  conditions  of  life  and  suffered 
them  with  fortitude  until  his  energetic  nature  could 
lift  him  out  of  them.  To  make  the  most  of  every 
situation  which  he  did,  is  quite  a  different  thing 
from  being  ' '  content ' '  in  it. 

The  New  Testament  does  not  preach  content- 
ment of  any  kind  in  the  sense  of  "satisfaction." 
The  entire  gospel  tends  to  make  us  dissatisfied. 
This  is  right.  To  become  dissatisfied  with  our- 
selves and  our  attainments  is  the  only  condition  of 
progress.  For  example,  the  ignorant  are  the  only 
ones  who  are  satisfied  with  their  intellectual  at- 

111 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

tainments.    In  like  manner  it  is  no  true  spiritual- 
ity which  desires  to  remain  as  it  is. 

Paul's  words  on  this  subject  have  been  twisted 
into  an  argument  against  the  acquisition  of  riches. 
But  strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  an  argument  for 
the  very  thing  which  it  has  been  supposed  to  for- 
bid. Riches  in  themselves  are  not  an  evil.  They 
are  a  powerful  instrument  for  good.  To  teach 
men  to  remain  in  poverty  and  that  it  is  wrong  to 
desire  to  make  riches  would  be  to  teach  a  doctrine 
fraught  with  perilous  harm.  It  would  encourage 
a  vagrancy  that  in  the  end  would  dissolve  an  enter- 
prising society.  The  true  teaching  is  that  money  is 
a  talent  to  be  used  in  the  interest  of  others ;  that  its 
use  is  to  be  a  proof  of  our  thoughtfulness  for  them. 
Let  men  who  are  in  the  money-making  business 
make  all  they  can  and  as  fast  as  they  can.  But  let 
them  who  have  this  talent  know  that  they  must 
exercise  it  honestly  and  honorably,  guarding 
against  the  temptations  which  it  brings  and  bearing 
the  responsibilities  which  it  incurs.  Let  them 
know,  then,  that  it  is  for  use,  not  abuse;  that  it 
is  to  be  a  means,  not  a  master;  a  servant,  not  a 
sovereign.  Poverty  had  no  bewitching  attractions 
for  Paul.  He  tells  the  Philippians  so.  Wliile 
he  made  the  most  of  the  poverty  situation,  he  lets 
them  know  that  he  is  glad  enough  to  ''have  all 
things  and  abound"  and  to  be  * 'filled."  Poverty, 
too,  has  its  temptations ;  and  all  men  are  not  suffi- 

112 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

cient  for  its  trials.  The  most  dangerous  beasts  in 
society  have  their  lairs  in  its  wretched  haunts. 
But  Paul  was  self-sufficient,  yielding  neither  to 
the  temptations  of  poverty  nor  of  plenty.  Wliat 
was  the  secret  of  it  ?  Will  he  divulge  to  the  Phil- 
ippians  this  secret  which  he  discovered  through 
his  initiation  into  these  things?  Yes,  he  is  going 
to  tell  it  and  this  is  it,  "I  can  do  all  things  in 
Him  that  strengtheneth  me."  This  ability  which 
came  through  Christ  enabled  him  to  bear  the  hard- 
ships of  want  and  to  overcome  the  peril  of  abun- 
dance. His  confident  assertion  of  his  ability  can  not 
be  regarded  as  a  presumption.  It  was,  in  fact,  a 
qualified  assertion.  It  was  an  ability  acquired 
*' through  Christ."  In  all  life  our  ability  is  largely 
acquired  through  outside  sources.  Herbert 
Spencer  has  told  us  that  ''whatever  amount  of 
power  an  organism  expends  in  any  shape  is  the 
correlate  and  equivalent  of  a  power  that  was  taken 
into  it  from  without. ' '  A  plant  contains  about  one- 
half  of  that  which  is  essential  to  its  existence.  The 
other  half  is  contained  in  the  enviroment.  It 
drinks  the  water  and  moisture  in  the  soil  and  feeds 
upon  the  fertility  of  the  ground.  The  air  and  the 
sun  are  also  made  to  contribute  to  its  growth. 
Whatever  fruit  it  bears  comes  from  strength  ac- 
quired from  outside  sources.  In  the  same  way  Paul 
absorbed  his  spiritual  environment  which  was 
Christ,  and  felt  that  his  ability  was  as  strong  as  the 

8  113 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

environment  which  sustained  his  life.  The  word 
**strengtheneth"  carries  out  this  figure  inasmuch 
as  it  means  *Mnfuseth  strength."  Christ  was  all 
powerful,  Paul  knew,  and  with  His  strength  in- 
fused into  him,  he  felt  that  in  all  confidence  he 
could  say,  **I  can  do  all  things  in  Him  that 
strengtheneth  me.''  Christ  was  self-sufficient.  In 
His  temptation  the  wealth  of  the  world  was  laid  at 
His  feet.  Poverty  was  His  lot  all  through  His  life. 
But  in  whatever  state  He  was,  therein  He  was  self- 
sufficient.  That  is,  neither  the  one  nor  the  other 
was  permitted  to  thwart  Him  from  His  purpose  in 
the  world  or  to  work  injury  to  His  character.  His 
mind  was  in  Paul,  when  Paul  through  Him  be- 
came sufficient  for  all  things.  And  His  mind  was 
also  in  the  Philippian  Christians  when  they  min- 
istered to  Paul  as  he  was  bravely  endeavoring  to 
be  *' self-sufficient"  in  adverse  circumstances. 

Finally,  he  reminds  them  of  the  reward  of  true 
thoughtfulness  for  each  other's  need — ''My  God 
shall  supply  every  need  of  yours  according  to  His 
riches  in  glory."  We  can  not  purchase  God's 
favor,  to  be  sure.  Paul  would  have  been  the  last 
person  to  have  advocated  this.  But  he  could  say 
in  all  confidence  that  true  benevolence  expended 
with  a  true  desire  to  help  another  did  not  escape 
the  Father's  notice.  This  was  the  mind  of  Jesus, 
for  He  said,  **  Whosoever  shall  give  you  a  cup  of 
water  to  drink,  because  ye  are  Christ's,  verily  I 

114 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

say  unto  you,  he  shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  re- 
ward." Again,  Jesus  show^ed  that  true  benevo- 
lence would  be  rewarded  when  He  said,  *'For  I 
was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  Me  to  eat;  I  was  thirsty, 
and  ye  gave  Me  drink;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye 
took  Me  in;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  Me/'  In  this 
same  chapter  Jesus  also  reminds  us  of  the  mis- 
fortune which  may  overtake  us  lest  we  should 
forget.  Do  we  forget?  Or  are  we  making  such 
good  use  of  our  substance  that  our  lives  are  truly 
benevolent,  showing  forth  the  very  mind  of  our 
Lord. 

Study  XX — The  Mind  of  Christ  reminds  us  to  re- 
member our  universal  brotherhood.     (4:  21-23.) 

Paul's  salutations  are  not  the  least  interesting 
parts  of  his  epistles.  They  may  seem  common- 
place to  us  in  their  similarity;  but  no  other  ex- 
pressions of  Paul  better  set  forth  the  mind  of 
Christ.  He  mentions  no  individuals  in  this  saluta- 
tion. The  words  "brethren"  and  "saints"  are 
made  to  include  his  fellow-workers  and  members  of 
the  Philippian  Church.  However,  he  makes  one 
specification.  Among  the  "saints"  he  designates 
them  "that  are  of  Caesar's  household."  These 
were  entitled  to  special  mention.  It  was  significant 
that  the  gospel  had  penetrated  into  the  palace 
quarters.  It  meant  something  for  one  in  Csesar's 
household  to  take  a  stand  for  righteousness.     It 

115 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

was  the  reign  of  Nero.  "We  know  from  sober 
history  how  profligacy  riotously  reigned  here.  To 
be  righteous  amid  all  the  vileness  and  license  that 
characterized  Nero's  household  was  deserving  of 
special  commendation.  Daniel  in  the  court  of 
Babylon  and  Nehemiah  in  the  Persian  palace  kept 
their  consciences  pure;  and  so  did  the  ''saints  in 
Caesar's  household." 

It  is  probable  that  the  majority  of  Christians 
in  this  household  were  of  the  lower  class.  Bishop 
Lightfoot  says,  "Least  of  all  are  we  encouraged 
to  assume  that  they  were  persons  of  great  influ- 
ence or  rank."  It  was  an  immense  household. 
Lightfoot  gives  a  list  of  forty-nine  offices  which  he 
says  is  a  ''very  incomplete  list"  and  which  "sug- 
gests a  minute  subdivision  of  offices."  While  it 
is  interesting  to  speculate  about  "Caesar's  house- 
hold" and  to  think  of  some  of  noble  rank  being 
allied  with  the  Christian  cause,  it  is  more  profitable 
to  get  the  real  lesson  which  the  salutation  seems 
to  teach. 

The  great  lesson  which  it  teaches  is  that  Chris- 
tianity is  a  universal  brotherhood.  "Saints  of 
Caesar's  household"  indicate  the  cosmopolitan 
character  of  the  gospel.  The  palace  service  com- 
prised many  slaves  as  well  as  freedmen.  Here  these 
are  linked  together  in  the  fellowship  of  a  Christian 
brotherhood.  Slaves  and  freedmen  belonging  to 
the  same  Church?    Even  so.    "We  know  from  other 

116 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

epistles  of  Paul  that  he  received  slaves  into  the 
Church.  His  letter  to  Philemon,  for  example,  is  an 
urgent  request  that  Philemon  receive  the  fugitive 
slave  Onesimus  as  a  Christian  brother.  The  words 
of  Jesus  on  love  remind  us  that  Paul's  exhorta- 
tion was  in  the  spirit  of  Christ.  If  we  keep  the 
''new  commandment — that  ye  love  one  another," 
then  shall  we  remember  that  all  men  whosoever 
they  may  be,  are  entitled  to  belong  to  the  Christian 
brotherhood. 

A  study  of  the  names  which  Paul  from  time  to 
time  mentions  in  his  salutations  indicates  that 
Jews,  Greeks,  Romans,  in  short,  members  of  all 
races  were  gathered  into  the  Christian  brotherhood. 
The  ends  of  the  earth  came  together  in  the  Roman 
Empire.  This  made  it  possible  for  men  of  every 
clime  to  find  their  way  into  the  Christian  Church. 
Rome  itself  was  the  great  cosmopolitan  city.  Nat- 
urally enough  racial  prejudice  would  manifest  it- 
self in  the  Church.  But  Paul  would  not  tolerate  it 
for  a  moment.  He  would  not  permit  the  strong  and 
proud  racial  feeling  of  the  Jew  to  interfere  with 
his  efforts  to  save  the  Gentile.  When  Peter  sep- 
arated himself  from  the  Gentiles  at  Antioch,  and 
ate  with  the  Jews,  Paul  tells  us  that  he  "resisted 
him  to  the  face,  because  he  stood  condemned." 
With  Paul  all  racial  distinctions  were  wiped  out, 
all  barriers  torn  down,  and  men  everywhere  were 
brought  to  a  common  Christian  level.    Christianity 

117 


THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST 

was  to  him  the  great  ''melting  pot''  the  ''crucible 
of  God"  which  was  fusing  the  diverse  elements  of 
all  races  into  one  universal  brotherhood. 

In  these  latter  times  America  is  the  cosmopoli- 
tan nation,  the  ' '  melting  pot ' '  in  which  the  nations 
of  the  world  are  seething.  What  is  to  be  our 
attitude  toward  the  foreigner  who  crosses  our 
country's  threshold?  How  do  we  imagine  Christ 
would  treat  him  were  He  in  our  place ;  or  to  state 
it  more  accurately,  how  would  we  treat  them  were 
we  in  Christ's  place?  What  would  be  our  attitude 
toward  them,  in  fact,  if  the  mind  which  was  in 
Christ  was  also  in  us  ?  Surely  we  can  not  say  that 
the  stranger  has  no  business  in  this  part  of  God's 
world,  or  in  this  country  dedicated  by  our  fathers 
to  God  and  to  freedom.  While  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity does  not  require  an  indiscriminate  immigra- 
tion, yet  it  does  require  that  they  who  are  eligible 
to  enter  into  our  national  life  deserve  to  be  treated 
in  a  Christian  way.  It  is  like  Christ  to  look  with 
compassion  upon  the  homeless  immigrants  scattered 
as  sheep  without  a  shepherd.  It  is  like  Him  to 
have  pity  and  sympathy  for  the  stranger.  Is  our 
present-day  Christianity  so  much  better  than 
Paul's  that  we  should  exclude  Fome  members  of  the 
human  race  from  Christian  fellowship  and  frater- 
nal aid  ?  If  we  have  our  Lord 's  mind  in  this,  surely 
we  shall  hear  Him  say  unto  us  when  the  end  of 
things   is   at   hand,    "Come     .     .     .     inherit    the 

118 


HOW  THE  MIND  OF  CHRIST  REMINDS  US 

Kingdom  prepared  for  you  .  .  .  for  I  was  a 
stranger  and  ye  took  Me  in  .  .  .  inasmuch  as 
ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  My  brethren,  even  the 
least,  ye  did  it  unto  Me. ' '  Then  the  ' '  grace  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  be  with  (our)  spirit*' 
for  evermore. 


119 


BS2705 .B328 
The  mind  of  Christ 


Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1   1012  00013  9859 


DATE    DUE 


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